The Financial Implications of Pancreas Transplant Complications

Abstract:

Diabetes mellitus is associated with profound morbidity and mortality. For a small subset of diabetics, pancreas transplantation offers a cure for diabetes. Unfortunately, pancreas transplantation is associated with its own risks. These risks include graft thrombosis and peri-operative infections in the short-term, and renal failure, malignancy, and infections related to the long-term effects of immunosuppression (immunosuppression medications). Surgical complications of pancreas transplantation are associated with significant costs for the patient, the payer, the hospital, and the physician. For example, a patient with a surgical complication following pancreas transplantation will cost an insurer an additional $17,363. Quantifying the costs of surgical complications is important as payers and hospitals consider future investment in quality improvement initiatives. Our work in pancreas transplantation suggests that payers bear the majority of the financial burden of pancreas transplant complications. Within this context, focused quality improvement initiatives in pancreas transplantation seem like a reasonable investment for large payers, such as Medicare.