Greater patient travel distance is associated with perioperative and one-year cost increases after complex aortic surgery.
Academic Article
Overview
abstract
INTRODUCTION: With increasing regionalization of complex aortic surgery within fewer US centers, patients may face increased travel burden when accessing aortic surgery. Longer travel distances have been associated with inferior outcomes after major surgery, however the impacts of distance on reinterventions and costs have not been described. This study aims to assess the association between patient travel distance and longer-term outcomes including costs and reinterventions after complex aortic surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted of all patients in the Vascular Implant Surveillance and Interventional Outcomes Network (VISION) database undergoing complex endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) including internal iliac or visceral vessel involvement, complex thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) including Zone 0-2 proximal extent or branched devices, and complex open abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair including suprarenal or higher clamp sites. Travel distance was stratified by Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) population-density category. Multinomial logistic regression models, negative-binomial models, and zero-inflated Poisson models were used to assess the association between travel distance and index procedural and comprehensive first-year costs, long-term imaging, and long-term reinterventions, respectively. RESULTS: Between 2011-2018, 8,782 patients underwent complex aortic surgery in the VISION database, including 4,822 complex EVARs, 2,672 complex TEVARs, and 1,288 complex open AAA repairs. Median travel distance was 22.8mi (interquartile range 8.6-54.8 miles, range 0-2,688.9 miles). Median age was 75 years for all distance quintiles. Patients traveling farther were more likely to be female (26.8% in quintile 5 [Q5] versus 19.9% in Q1, p<0.001) and to have had a prior aortic surgery (20.8% for Q5 versus 5.9% for Q1, p<0.001). Patients traveling farther had higher index procedural costs, with adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.34 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.86-2.94, p<0.0001) of being in the highest cost tertile versus lowest for patients in Q5 versus Q1. For patients with ≥1-year follow-up, those travelling farther had higher imaging costs, with adjusted Q5 OR 1.55 (95% CI 1.22-1.95, p=0.0002), and comprehensive first-year costs, with adjusted Q5 OR 2.06 (95% CI 1.57-2.70, p<0.0001). In contrast, patients travelling farther had similar numbers of reinterventions and imaging studies postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Patients travelling farther for complex aortic surgery have higher procedural costs, postoperative imaging costs, and comprehensive first-year costs. These patients should be targeted for increased care coordination for improved outcomes and healthcare system burden.
