The Cost of ERCP

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has become a valuable alternative to surgery for treating benign and malignant pancreaticobiliary disorders. However, the costs of ERCP have not been evaluated thoroughly. Researchers in Belgium prospectively documented actual reimbursements and costs of performing 204 consecutive diagnostic and therapeutic ERCPs in a teaching hospital.

Costs were classified as fixed (the portion of total cost that is independent of the number of procedures; includes equipment and space) or variable (the portion of total cost that varies with the number of procedures; includes disposable procedural materials and labor costs for physicians and nurses). The annual fixed cost for the organization of the ERCP…