OBJECT Standard treatment options for patients with lumbar
spinal stenosis include nonoperative
therapies as well as decompressive
laminectomy. The introduction of interspinous
decompression devices such as the X-STOP has broadened treatment options, but data comparing these treatment strategies are lacking. The object of this study was to provide a cost-effectiveness analysis of
laminectomy, interspinous
decompression, and nonoperative treatment for patients with lumbar
stenosis. METHODS The authors performed a structured literature review of lumbar
stenosis and constructed a cost-effectiveness model. Using
conservative treatment, decompressive
laminectomy, and placement of X-STOP as the treatment arms, their primary analysis evaluated the optimal treatment strategy for a patient with lumbar
stenosis at a 2-year time horizon. Secondary analyses were done to compare cases in which patients required single-level procedures with those in which multilevel procedures were required as well as to examine the outcomes for a 4-year time horizon. Outcomes were calculated using quality-adjusted life years and costs were considered from the perspective of society. RESULTS
Laminectomy was found to be the most effective treatment strategy, followed by X-STOP and then
conservative treatment at a 2-year time horizon. Both
surgical procedures were more costly than
conservative treatment. Because
laminectomy was both more effective and less costly than X-STOP, it is said to dominate overall. When single level procedures were considered alone,
laminectomy was more effective but also more costly than X-STOP. CONCLUSIONS Lumbar
laminectomy appears to be the most cost-effective treatment strategy for patients with symptomatic lumbar
spinal stenosis.