Cost Effectiveness of Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs) as Destination Therapy: A Systematic Review

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) can extend life and improve quality of life among advanced heart failure patients ineligible for transplantation (destination therapy). High-quality evidence on the cost effectiveness of LVADs compared with optimal medical management is needed to inform policy. This study identifies economic evaluations of LVADs for destination therapy and assesses their methodological quality.

The review followed Centre for Review and Dissemination guidelines for methods, and PRISMA standards for reporting, and was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020158987). Six databases were searched for studies published up to October 2024. Full economic evaluations of LVADs for destination therapy were included. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection, data extraction and quality assessment using validated tools.

The study identified 14 economic evaluations, including 10 modelling studies. Most studies were from the US and UK. There was substantial variation in model structure, methods, and cost estimates. Only seven studies used a lifetime horizon. Resource use was typically estimated based on data from small single-centre samples. Overall quality was moderate due to key limitations such as insufficient time horizons, omitting complications and costs, and limited consideration of uncertainty. Only two studies examined severity, and none assessed cost effectiveness by patient age. Most studies found LVADs not to be cost effective compared with medical management except for two UK-based evaluations.

This review reveals important limitations in the current evidence on the cost effectiveness of LVADs as destination therapy. More comprehensive, robust evaluations are needed to inform policy decisions.