• Lea Scherschinski, Katherine Karahalios, Visish M Srinivasan, Joshua S Catapano, Jubran H Jubran, Dimitri Benner, Kavelin Rumalla, Ethan A Winkler, Christopher S Graffeo, and Michael T Lawton.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
• World Neurosurg. 2023 Aug 1; 176: e125e134e125-e134.

ObjectiveSpinal dorsal intradural arteriovenous fistulas (DI-AVFs) represent 70% of all spinal vascular lesions. Diagnostic tools include pre- and postoperative digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and intraoperative indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA). ICG-VA has a high predictive value in DI-AVF occlusion, but postoperative DSA remains a core component of postoperative protocols. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential cost reduction of forgoing postoperative DSA after microsurgical occlusion of DI-AVFs.MethodsCohort-based cost effectiveness study of all DI-AVFs within a prospective, single-center cerebrovascular registry from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2021.ResultsComplete data including intraoperative ICG-VA and costs were available for 11 patients. Mean (SD) age was 61.5 (14.8) years. All DI-AVFs were treated with microsurgical clip ligation of the draining vein. ICG-VA showed complete obliteration in all patients. Postoperative DSA was performed for 6 patients and confirmed complete obliteration. Mean (SD) cost contributions for DSA and ICG-VA were $11,418 ($4,861) and $12 ($2), respectively. Mean (SD) total costs were $63,543 ($15,742) and $53,369 ($27,609) for patients who did and did not undergo postoperative DSA, respectively. Comorbidity status was identified as the main driver of total cost (P = 0.01 after adjusting for postoperative DSA status).ConclusionsICG-VA is a powerful diagnostic tool in demonstrating microsurgical cure of DI-AVFs, with a negative predictive value of 100%. Eliminating postoperative DSA in patients with confirmed DI-AVF obliteration on ICG-VA may yield substantial cost savings, in addition to sparing patients the risk and inconvenience of a potentially unnecessary invasive procedure.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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