Cost of cystectomy-related complications in patients with bladder cancer in the United States

Aims: To describe healthcare utilization and cost associated with the short-term and long-term complications of cystectomy among commercially insured bladder cancer patients in the United States.Materials and methods: This retrospective, observational cohort study evaluated adults with bladder cancer receiving a transurethral resection of bladder tumor followed by a partial or radical cystectomy procedure using U.S. administrative claims from the 2005-2015 IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases. Bladder cancer patients were classified into two cohorts: partial cystectomy or radical cystectomy. Cystectomy complications were identified during the cystectomy admission, short-term period, and long-term period. Complication-related utilization and cost outcomes were reported in aggregate during the cystectomy admission and per patient per month (PPPM) during the short-term and long-term follow-up periods.Results: Of 5136 patients who received a cystectomy, 488 (9.5%) received partial cystectomy and 4648 (90.5%) received radical cystectomy. The mean (SD) costs of complications during the cystectomy admission were $11,728 ($43,380) for radical cystectomy and $4657 ($25,668) for partial cystectomy. In the short-term period, PPPM complication-related healthcare costs were $638 [$3793] for partial cystectomy and $2681 [$14,705] for radical cystectomy. In the long-term period, PPPM complication-related healthcare costs were $544 [$2580] for partial cystectomy and $1619 [$7874] for radical cystectomy.Conclusions: Cystectomy-related complications, especially with radical cystectomy, present a substantial financial burden to patients and payers immediately after surgery as well as in the long term. Targeted interventions which improve clinical outcomes but reduce substantial costs associated with cystectomy for bladder cancer are needed.