Letter to the Editor: The Case for Publicly Funded Headache Surgery in Germany
Leonard Knoedler,
Christian Chartier,
Hassan ElHawary,
Andreas Kehrer,
Thomas Muehlberger
Affiliations
Leonard Knoedler
Department of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; Corresponding author: Leonard Knoedler, Von-Kleist-Strasse 22, 93138 Lappersdorf, Germany, +49 151 448 249 58
Christian Chartier
McGill University Faculty of Medicine, Montreal, Canada
Hassan ElHawary
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada
Andreas Kehrer
Department of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
Thomas Muehlberger
Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, DRK-Kliniken Berlin Westend, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Migraine Surgery Centre, Harley Street, London, W1G 9PF, United Kingdom
Summary: Headache surgery has become a considerable therapeutic option in headache treatment and is of rising interest in the German medical sector. This viewpoint outlines the need for reimbursement of headache surgery in the German healthcare system and demonstrates its cost-effectiveness. Using state-of-the-art patient selection algorithms, the authors found headache surgery to be cost-effective within 7.2 to 6.3 years. Of note, the approach presented is not limited to the German healthcare system.
