TY - JOUR
T1 - Cost-effectiveness of transvaginal sonography and saline infused sonography in the evaluation of menorrhagia
AU - Dijkhuizen, F. P.H.L.J.
AU - Mol, B. W.J.
AU - Bongers, M. Y.
AU - Brölmann, H. A.M.
AU - Heintz, A. P.M.
PY - 2003/10/1
Y1 - 2003/10/1
N2 - Objectives: To assess the cost-effectiveness of transvaginal sonography (TVS) and saline infused sonography (SIS) in the diagnostic work-up of women with menorrhagia. Methods: We performed a decision analysis in which we compared the percentage of patients treated successfully and cost of six strategies for the evaluation of menorrhagia: (0) hormonal treatment, (I) treatment of all patients with balloon ablation, (II) TVS and therapeutic hysteroscopy, (III) TVS, SIS and therapeutic hysteroscopy, (IV) SIS and therapeutic hysteroscopy, and (V) diagnostic hysteroscopy and therapeutic hysteroscopy. Hormonal treatment was considered to be the reference strategy to which the five strategies were compared. Data were obtained from the published literature. In order to evaluate the robustness of our results, we performed extensive sensitivity analyses, in which we varied sensitivity and specificity of TVS and hysteroscopy, the prevalence of intracavitary abnormalities, as well as costs of TVS and SIS. Results: We found that the strategy starting with SIS (IV) and the strategy with diagnostic hysteroscopy (V) revealed the highest number of patients treated successfully for menorrhagia. In terms of cost-effectiveness, SIS for all patients was superior over immediate diagnostic hysteroscopy for all patients. Strategies starting with TVS were less effective than the strategy starting with SIS. Conclusions: We recommend SIS as the procedure of first choice in the work-up for women with menorrhagia.
AB - Objectives: To assess the cost-effectiveness of transvaginal sonography (TVS) and saline infused sonography (SIS) in the diagnostic work-up of women with menorrhagia. Methods: We performed a decision analysis in which we compared the percentage of patients treated successfully and cost of six strategies for the evaluation of menorrhagia: (0) hormonal treatment, (I) treatment of all patients with balloon ablation, (II) TVS and therapeutic hysteroscopy, (III) TVS, SIS and therapeutic hysteroscopy, (IV) SIS and therapeutic hysteroscopy, and (V) diagnostic hysteroscopy and therapeutic hysteroscopy. Hormonal treatment was considered to be the reference strategy to which the five strategies were compared. Data were obtained from the published literature. In order to evaluate the robustness of our results, we performed extensive sensitivity analyses, in which we varied sensitivity and specificity of TVS and hysteroscopy, the prevalence of intracavitary abnormalities, as well as costs of TVS and SIS. Results: We found that the strategy starting with SIS (IV) and the strategy with diagnostic hysteroscopy (V) revealed the highest number of patients treated successfully for menorrhagia. In terms of cost-effectiveness, SIS for all patients was superior over immediate diagnostic hysteroscopy for all patients. Strategies starting with TVS were less effective than the strategy starting with SIS. Conclusions: We recommend SIS as the procedure of first choice in the work-up for women with menorrhagia.
KW - Cost-effectiveness
KW - Hysteroscopy
KW - Menorrhagia
KW - Saline-infused sonography
KW - Transvaginal sonography
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0141625652&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0020-7292(03)00080-8
DO - 10.1016/S0020-7292(03)00080-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 14511871
AN - SCOPUS:0141625652
SN - 0020-7292
VL - 83
SP - 45
EP - 52
JO - International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
JF - International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
IS - 1
ER -