Cost analysis of epilepsy surgery and of vigabatrin treatment in patients with refractory partial epilepsy

Epilepsy Research
K MalmgrenE Ben-Menachem

Abstract

In this study the direct actual costs associated with epilepsy-related health care, treatment with the novel antiepileptic drug vigabatrin (gamma-vinyl GABA, GVG), epilepsy surgery evaluation (ESE) and epilepsy surgery were analysed in 52 patients with intractable partial epilepsy who were on a waiting-list for ESE while trying GVG. Sixty percent of the 52 patients obtained a reduction in seizure frequency of 50% or more with GVG. Of the twenty-one operated patients 57% became seizure free, 10% had more than 75%, 5% had 50-75% and 29% had less than 50% reduction of seizure frequency. Of the 17 patients who did not go through ESE (the "GVG responders"), the corresponding outcome was 6%, 59%, 29% and 6%. For the 14 patients who were neither operated nor GVG responders, the outcome was 0%, 0%, 36% and 64%. The mean yearly costs (expressed in 1991 prices) of epilepsy-related health care including antiepileptic drug treatment was US $1,594 the year before starting GVG therapy, and US $2959 the first year of GVG treatment including a mean yearly cost of GVG of US $1,572. The mean total cost for ESE and surgery was US $46,778 (N = 21), while the mean cost of ESE in patients evaluated but not accepted for surgery (N = 14) was US $24,05...Continue Reading

References

May 1, 1992·Epilepsia·L Forsgren
Jan 1, 1989·British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology·J P Mumford, M Dam
Jan 1, 1988·Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. Supplementum·H Silfvenius

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Citations

Sep 16, 2010·Current Treatment Options in Neurology·Laura A StromLauren Frey
Aug 15, 2000·Epilepsy Research·E PeruccaT Tomson
Jun 18, 2003·Seizure : the Journal of the British Epilepsy Association·Raeburn B ForbesRichard C Roberts
Apr 29, 1998·Current Opinion in Neurology·J W Sander
Jun 1, 2001·Epilepsia·R GuerriniUNKNOWN Epilepsy Collaborative Study Group
May 20, 2008·Lancet Neurology·Susan Spencer, Linda Huh

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