OBJECTIVE: To evaluate wear time and costs of a new fistula and wound management system (FWMS) compared to standard fistula treatments.

METHODS: Data were collected from 22 patients with an abdominal fistula recruited from 5 sites in the United States. This economic evaluation was based on a cost-effectiveness analysis with wear time, material costs, and labor costs taken into account.

RESULTS: A longer wear time for each pouch as well as simpler handling by nurses amounted to an average lower cost of $83 per day of treatment with the FWMS. A large variation was observed in the collected data. However, the sensitivity analysis showed that 77% of patients achieved a cost reduction when changing to the FWMS.

CONCLUSION: The FWMS was less costly than traditional methods for managing abdominal fistula, probably due to longer wear time and less time spent on each pouching session.