Over 40% of the pediatric hospital costs for single-ventricle patients occur after the last planned surgery

A recent article published in the American Journal of Cardiology highlighted that patients with single ventricle continue to demand considerable inpatient resources after the staged surgical procedures period, and over 40% of the pediatric hospital costs for single-ventricle patients were estimated to occur after the last planned surgery.

The study used administrative hospital cost data to assess the trend in long-term hospital costs for single ventricle patients surviving the Fontan procedure throughout childhood and adolescence. Single ventricle congenital heart disease is transforming from a fatal disease to a chronic condition, and the provision of hospital care for these patients does not stop after the last planned surgery. Our results provide relevant information for the planning of inpatient resources and predicting and budgeting for the needs of the Fontan population as it grows over time.

The research was led by members of the Health Economics Unit Li Huang and Kim Dalziel. The article is available online.