Cost-effectiveness of epileptic surgery compared with medical treatment in children with drug-resistant epilepsy

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy surgery is an alternative to continued antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in children with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Objective: The objective of the study was to measure, model, and compare the medical costs and impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQL) of epilepsy surgery versus continued medical treatment with AEDs in children with DRE. Methods: A decision analytic model was created to estimate the cost-effectiveness of epilepsy surgery relative to continued medical treatment with AEDs. The model was based on costing and effectiveness data collected from 105 children with DRE who were operated on at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. The mean cost..