Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
Endoscopic Endonasal Trans-sphenoidal Approach: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas
Published on: January 17, 2018
Cost-effectiveness of endoscopic endonasal vs transcranial approaches for olfactory groove meningioma
Terence S Fu1, Christopher M K L Yao1, Hedyeh Ziai1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background:
Endoscopic endonasal approaches (EEAs) have been adopted as an alternative to standard transcranial approaches for olfactory groove meningiomas (OGMs). However, the relative cost-effectiveness remains controversial.
Methods:
Cost-utility analysis from a societal perspective comparing EEA vs transcranial approaches for OGM was used in this study. Surgical treatment was modeled using decision analysis, and a Markov model was adopted over a 20-year horizon. Parameters were obtained from literature review. Costs were expressed in 2017 Canadian dollars.
Results:
In the base case, EEA was cost-effective compared with transcranial surgery with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $33 523 ($30 475 USD)/QALY. There was a 55% likelihood that EEA was cost-effective at a willingness-to-pay of $50 000/QALY. EEA remained cost-effective at a cerebrospinal fluid leak rate below 60%, gross total resection rate above 25%, and base cost less than $66 174 ($60 158 USD).
Conclusion:
EEA may be a cost-effective alternative to transcranial approaches for selected OGM.
