Étude de coût d'un dispositif médical innovant : l'agrafeuse sous-cutanée à agrafes résorbables

A new surgical stapler with absorbable staples for subcuticular closure is available for few months. This device could combine the advantages of absorbable suture with those of a mechanical system. In Nantes University Hospital, we conducted an economic assessment by monitoring use of this stapler in Plastic Surgery area during 5 months in 2008. The aim of the study was to determine the hospital ability to support additional costs for this new medical device. We calculated the cost of each hospitalization with use of the stapler and we compared it to the reimbursement received by the institution. The economic framework of the studied hospitalizations was unchanged by the additional cost induced by the absorbable dermal stapler. With a reduction of average lengths of stays, a surgical activity increase and a reimbursement's optimization due to the new rates in 2009, use of this stapler in our institution could be cost effective. From a clinical perspective, the superiority of this new suture technique is not formally proven. If saving time during closure procedures has been well highlighted, data on efficacy and tolerance of staples must be assessed by further studies.