The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Volume 140, Issue 2 , Page 488, August 2010

Reply to the Editor

  • Christian Schumann, MD

      Affiliations

    • Center of Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
    • ,
  • Jürgen Hetzel, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
    • ,
  • Philipp M. Lepper, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pneumology, University Hospital of Bern (Inselspital) and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
    • ,
  • Martin Hetzel, MD

      Affiliations

    • Clinics of Pneumology and Internal Medicine, Red Cross Hospital, Stuttgart, Germany

Article Outline

CTSNet classification: 4.3, 10.2, 15.5

 

We thank Dr Medford1 for the valuable additional analysis concerning the cost benefits of cryobiopsy based on our recently published article in the Journal.2

We assume that routine use of a flexible cryoprobe to obtain tissue samples is cost-effective. However, it has to be considered that cryobiopsies generally require protected airways (ie, intubation). In addition, deep sedation using midazolam or disoprivan, if not general anesthesia, is required. In most countries, this makes additional personnel or an additional physician (eventually an anesthetist) necessary, which in turn leads to an increase in costs. Further, different health care systems may have different tariffs for bronchoscopic procedures, and this might cause a variation in final cost-effectiveness between different countries. Studies investigating the cost-effectiveness are under way. Most likely, cryobiopsy is a method that will result in cost savings over time. In this sense, we absolutely agree with Dr Medford.

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References 

  1. Medford ARL. Theoretical cost benefits of cryobiopsy. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010;140:487–488
  2. Schumann C, Hetzel J, Babiak AJ, Merk T, Wibmer T, Moller P, et al. Cryoprobe biopsy increases the diagnostic yield in endobronchial tumor lesions. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 10 March 2010;[Epub ahead of print]

PII: S0022-5223(10)00386-7

doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2010.04.021

Refers to article:

  • Theoretical cost benefits of cryobiopsy

    Andrew R.L. Medford
    The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery August 2010 (Vol. 140, Issue 2, Pages 487-488)

The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
Volume 140, Issue 2 , Page 488, August 2010

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