Left ventricular assist devices in the treatment of end-stage heart failure

Neyt M, Leroy R, Devos C, Van Brabandt H
Record ID 32016000651
English
Authors' objectives: A ventricular assist device is a medical device that supports the pumping function of the heart. This technique can be applied with different objectives: - as a "bridge to recovery" or "bridge to decision" to give a weakened heart muscle some time to recover and/or to give the opportunity to make a decision about a possible heart transplant later on, - as a "bridge to transplant" when a decision on a transplant already has been taken, but when a donor heart is not readily available, and - as a definite alternative to heart transplantation. In Belgium, there is a reimbursement for a limited number of these devices with a focus on "bridge to transplant". This HTA examines the safety, efficacy/effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this technique if applied in one of the other two indications.
Authors' recommendations: RECOMMENDATIONS To the Minister for Public Health and the competent bodies at RIZIV – INAMI: A heart assist device as destination therapy results in a significant improvement in life expectancy and an improvement in the quality of life in comparison with optimal medical treatment. Despite these clear benefits, the average cost effectiveness ratio is relatively high (€82 000 per QALY on average). From a health economic point of view, there are no arguments for an extension of the reimbursement to more than 50 LVADs per year. A social and ethical debate has to be conducted on the basis of these elements.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2016
URL for published report: https://doi.org/10.57598/R264C
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: Belgium
MeSH Terms
  • Humans
  • Heart Failure
  • Heart-Assist Devices
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Technology Assessment, Biomedical
Keywords
  • Heart-Assist Devices
  • Heart Failure
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Belgium
Contact
Organisation Name: Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre
Contact Address: Administrative Centre Botanique, Doorbuilding (10th floor), Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 55, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium tel: +32 2 287 33 88 fax: +32 2 287 33 85
Contact Name: info@kce.fgov.be
Contact Email: info@kce.fgov.be
Copyright: Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE)
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.