The Economic Impact of Introducing RefluxStop for Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease on the Italian Healthcare System

IntroductionGastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common ailment associated with troublesome symptoms. The standard of care in Italy involves initial treatment with proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based medical management or laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) for patients unwilling to continue or intolerant of long-term PPI therapy. RefluxStop is a novel medical device, intended for laparoscopic implantation, that has recently proven to be an efficacious and cost-effective treatment option for patients with GERD. This analysis aims to describe the short-term budget impact of introducing RefluxStop as a GERD treatment option within the Italian National Health Service (SSN).MethodsA model adherent to international best practice recommendations was developed to estimate the budget impact of introducing RefluxStop over a 5-year time horizon. Two scenarios were considered: one without RefluxStop (i.e., comprising PPI therapy, LNF, and magnetic sphincter augmentation using the LINX system); and one with RefluxStop (i.e., addition of RefluxStop to the three treatment options previously mentioned). Clinical benefits and costs associated with each intervention were included in the analysis.ResultsOver 5 years, the introduction of RefluxStop resulted in avoidance of 95 surgical failures, 11 reoperations, and 64 endoscopic esophageal dilations. Introduction of RefluxStop resulted in an almost neutral impact on the existing budget with a 0.316% increase in the annual Italian SSN spending on GERD treatment.ConclusionIntroduction of RefluxStop as a GERD treatment option in Italy is likely to be associated with substantial clinical benefits and a marginal budget impact.