Introduction & Aims: The X-stop interspinous process decompression system is being used as an alternative to laminectomy in the treatment of neurogenic claudication. To date the clinical outcomes are favourable, but the economic value has not been established within the NHS financial model.

Objective: To compare the average hospital costs of performing an x-stop procedure (under general or local anaesthetic) to a laminectomy in patients with neurogenic claudication.

Design: A retrospective analysis of average length of stay, anaesthetic and operative times, equipment and anaesthetic agent costs. Sources included theatre management systems, the British National Formulary and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust in-patient stay data. The study period was from April 2005 to October 2006. The number of patients in the two groups were 318 (laminectomy) and 75 (X-stop).

Results: In comparison to laminectomy, patients under-going an X-stop procedure have a reduced average length of in-patient stay (3 versus 5 days), reduced anaesthetic time (25 versus 29 minutes) and operative duration (40 versus 128 minutes). The average cost for each procedure is £3346 for an X-stop under general anaesthetic (profit £119), £2835 for a laminectomy (profit £1177) and £2237 for an X-stop as a day case (profit £1228).

Conclusions: Tariff reimbursement is an important consideration to ensure insertion of these devices is profitable for the hospital. Our results show that even with the additional cost of the implant device, an X-stop procedure under general anaesthetic remains profitable in comparison to a laminectomy, whilst a day-case X-stop procedure is more profitable. Additional savings are be made by reduced bed and theatre occupancy. Future studies will differentiate costs of 1- and 2-level X-stop procedures, complication rates and revision surgery.