Cost-effectiveness of biodegradable pancreatic stents in post-ERCP pancreatitis prophylaxis
Abbasi, Abdullah Anjum, Raheel Tewatia, Pavit Menon, Shyam
Abbasi, Abdullah
Anjum, Raheel
Tewatia, Pavit
Menon, Shyam
Affiliation
University of Iowa Health Care; The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust; University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Other Contributors
Publication date
2025-11-29
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
Background: Biodegradable biliopancreatic stents (BDS) are commercially available alternatives to conventional stents. While these offer potential economic benefits-such as eliminating the need for follow-up imaging or endoscopic procedures to retrieve retained stents-they have not been evaluated in a cost-effectiveness model. We aimed to develop a health economic model comparing conventional pancreatic stents (PS) with BDS for the prophylaxis of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP).
Methods: Data on pancreatic stents used for PEP and follow-up outcomes were extracted from the endoscopy database at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, United Kingdom, to develop a cost-benefit decision analysis model. Healthcare-associated quality of life data were sourced from the literature to derive utility values for the model. Complications related to retained stents were incorporated. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated using a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of £30,000.
Results: Deterministic analysis demonstrated that using BDS for PEP prophylaxis was cost-effective compared to conventional PS (£656.12, 0.98 QALY for BDS vs. £377.59, 0.95 QALY for PS), yielding an ICER of £9316.70. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis similarly confirmed the cost-effectiveness of BDS over PS, with BDS being cost-effective at £666.67 for 0.98 QALY versus £373.68 for 0.95 QALY for PS. Threshold analysis identified a cost threshold of £353.37 for BDS to remain cost-effective.
Conclusion: BDS for PEP prophylaxis is cost effective compared to conventional PS, avoiding the need for follow-up imaging and repeat procedures for stent removal.
Citation
Abbasi A, Anjum R, Tewatia P, Menon S. Cost-effectiveness of biodegradable pancreatic stents in post-ERCP pancreatitis prophylaxis. Pancreatology. 2025 Dec 1:S1424-3903(25)00708-2. doi: 10.1016/j.pan.2025.11.022. Epub ahead of print.
Type
Article