Dynamic graciloplasty is a safe and reliable technique in patients with severe incontinence and may result in a better quality of life.

We found that dynamic graciloplasty was more expensive than conventional treatment but resulted in a significantly higher quality of life. Stoma treatment was the least attractive alternative regarding both costs and effects. The Dutch Health Insurance Executive Board recommended reimbursement for the dynamic graciloplasty procedure.

More than 3% of the Dutch annual healthcare budget is spent on patients suffering from cerebrovascular disorders. Costs in the future may be influenced by, among other things, demographic changes, new therapies, and cost-reduction programs introduced by the government.

Duplex scan surveillance is highly effective for patients treated for critical limb ischemia, leading to a reduction of major amputations and consequently to a reduction in costs compared with other surveillance programs. In patients treated for intermittent claudication, the evidence supporting duplex scan surveillance is less firm, but if duplex scan can avoid six major amputations per 1000 patients examined, the incremental costs are justified.

No abstract