Treatment Costs of Comorbidities in Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease in Turkiye

OBJECTIVES: Patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) may present with many comorbidities, including severe limb ischemia, amputation, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke. This study aims to calculate the treatment costs for comorbid diseases in patients with PAD in Turkiye.

METHODS: The clinical data required to calculate the treatment costs of comorbid diseases accompanying PAD were collected from expert opinions and a literature review, and the costs of medicines and procedures were obtained from the Turkish Social Security Institution Health Practice Communiqué. The analyses were conducted using Microsoft Office Excel based on the perspective of reimbursement agency.

RESULTS: For patients with comorbid MI and PAD, the initial treatment cost was 5,984 TL, and the 12-month follow-up treatment cost was 1,780 TL. For patients with a stroke in addition to PAD, the initial treatment cost was 7,156 TL, and the 12-month follow-up treatment cost was 2,033 TL. The cost of emergency treatment for major amputation in PAD patients was 6,954 TL, and the cost of 12-month follow-up treatment was 3,279 TL. For minor amputations, the cost of emergency treatment was 4,031 TL, and the cost of 12-month follow-up treatment was 2,807 TL. For other comorbidities in PAD patients, the treatment cost of deep vein thrombosis was 678 TL, the treatment cost of pulmonary embolism was 3,523 TL, the treatment cost of systemic embolism was 5,689 TL, and the treatment cost of percutaneous revascularization was 3,564 TL.

CONCLUSIONS: The primary economic burden related to the treatment costs of comorbidities in PAD patients in Turkiye is due to interventional or surgical treatments. Improved treatment for PAD will also reduce the economic burden related to other comorbidities.