Authors' objectives:

To provide preliminary estimates of the cost to health programs of treating BPH using different options, and of the cost of BPH to the community.

Authors' results and conclusions: Clinical: About 35,000 men are admitted to hospital each year with a diagnosis of BPH, and there are approximately 25,000 surgical procedures (TURP). Economic: Total cost to health programs over five years for the annual cohort of cases treated with TURP is estimated as $123 M, taking into account retreatment. Comparative costs of options which include other forms of treatment are $90M for the thermotreatment, $55M for lasers, $136M for drugs and $127M for stents. If the wider burden to the community is considered, taking account of non-treated cases and of lost production and lost leisure time, the impact using TURP only as treatment is up to $186M plus 0.61M days of lost leisure whose monetary value is uncertain. Comparative figures for other options include: thermotreatment $140M + 0.4M days; laser $100M + 0.16M days; drugs $163M, 0.53M days.

Authors' recommendations: The estimates suggest that use of thermotreatment and lasers may offer an advantage over TURP. However, the results are sensitive to a number of factors, particularly the length of hospital stay and convalescence after TURP, and machine utilisation and costs of disposables for the thermotreatment and laser options. There will be further impact of the newer methods through their use for patients who are not candidates for surgery. Quality of life issues, which are not considered in this analysis, are likely to be significant.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.msac.gov.au/

Year Published: 1995

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Australia

Organisation Name: Australian Health Technology Advisory Committee

Contact Address: Naarilla Hirsch, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Health Technology Unit, GPO Box 570, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

Copyright: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AHTAC)