Escalating utilization of inpatient surgery for pelvic floor dysfunction in the elderly in Taiwan

Aims The direct cost of operations and health care expenditure for treating pelvic floor dysfunction are substantial. In this study, we evaluate the number of inpatient surgical procedures and direct expenditures for treating pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence under the coverage of National Health Insurance (NHI) in Taiwan. Methods Thirteen years of population-based NHI inpatient claims were used in this study. The number of surgical procedures and the average direct cost of inpatient fees for treating pelvic floor dysfunction for each patient from 1999 to 2011 were calculated. The patients were stratified based on age into a younger than 65 years group and 65 years or older group for comparisons. Results The number of patients per year increased by 27%, increasing from 5278 patients in 1999 to 6706 patients in 2011. The total direct cost of inpatient (surgical and admission) fees for pelvic floor dysfunction increased by 57.2%, increasing from $6 674 968 USD in 1999 to $10 494 894 USD in 2011. However, while the expenditures for women 65 years or older increased by 102.2% from 1999 to 2011, there was only a 38.3% increase for those younger than 65 years when we stratified the patients by age. Conclusion The increasing expenditures for inpatient surgery for pelvic floor dysfunction are mainly due to the escalating utilization of inpatient surgical procedures, especially those for pelvic organ prolapse in women aged 65 or older.