Cost-based analysis of operative maxillofacial fracture managements

Abstract

Aims: There is no current study presenting a descriptive cost-based analysis of operative maxillofacial fracture managements in Turkey. Therefore, this study attempted to investigate the overall treatment costs of maxillofacial traumas. Materials and Methods: Maxillofacial trauma patients treated between January 2012 and December 2016 with at least 12 months of follow-up were included in this study. Parameters including age, gender, etiology of injury, site of trauma, additional traumas, comorbidities, length of hospitalization, treatment technique and material used in surgery, duration of surgery, complication rates, and hospital costs for treatments were analyzed retrospectively. The costs were converted into USD ($) according to the currency exchange rate. Results: The most cost-effective (351$) was the teenage group (10-17 years) and the most expensive (793$) was the group over 61 years of age with significant differences. Etiologically, assaults were statistically significantly (P = 0.047) cheaper than motorbike accidents. The most expensive treatments were tetrad site fractures, and the most cost-effective treatments were maxillary fractures. The total costs of tetrad site fractures (1088$) was statistically significantly expensive than that of maxillary fractures (245$) (P = 0.006). Additional injuries caused statistically significantly higher costs to maxillofacial trauma treatments (P = 0.002). Closed techniques or plate fixations with six holes or less were statistically significantly cheaper than plate fixations with more than six holes (P < 0.001). Maxillofacial treatments had a complication rate of 8.6%. Complications caused statistically significantly higher treatment costs (P = 0.038). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that maxillofacial surgeons should use the resources in the most effective way to maintain low complication rates and treatment costs in managing maxillofacial traumas.