November 2019
A cost-utility analysis was performed to assess the most cost-effective treatment for chronic migraines between injection therapy and surgical decompression.
Why this matters
A cost-utility analysis was performed to assess the most cost-effective treatment for chronic migraines between injection therapy and surgical decompression. This work contributes to evidence-based plastic and reconstructive surgery — helping clinicians interpret outcomes, refine technique, and counsel patients with clearer data.
Author
Plastic and reconstructive surgery resident at Emory University (UCLA BS, USC MD) with an h-index of 21 and peer-reviewed work spanning aesthetic surgery, reconstruction, medical devices, and AI in medicine.
Abstract
A cost-utility analysis was performed to assess the most cost-effective treatment for chronic migraines between injection therapy and surgical decompression. Injection therapy offered a minor improvement in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) over surgical decompression (QALY Δ = 0.6), but long-term injection therapy was significantly more expensive. The cost of injection treatment was estimated at $106,887.96 more than surgery. The incremental cost-utility ratio in favor of surgical decompression was $178,163.27. Despite a slight QALY deficit, surgical decompression proved to be highly cost-effective. Surgery is a durable solution, and patients requiring injections for less than 8.25 years may not benefit as much from surgical intervention.