ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2026
What is the Cost of Selectivity? Selective and Nonselective Alpha Blockade Costs Associated with Adrenalectomy for Pheochromocytoma.
Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- ASO Author Reflections: Practice, Preference, and Price: Reflections on Alpha-Blockade Choices.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAlpha-blockade is utilized in the preoperative preparation of patients with pheochromocytomas. Both selective and nonselective alpha-blockade are safe with equivalent clinical outcomes; the goal of this study was to evaluate the comparative costs of selective and nonselective alpha-blockade. PATIENTS AND
methodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study (2004-2022) of patients who underwent adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma with preoperative alpha-blockade from Optum's deidentified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database. Patients were stratified by treatment with selective (prazosin, doxazosin, terazosin) or nonselective (phenoxybenzamine) alpha-blockade. Primary outcomes were: (1) costs of alpha-blockade in the 30 days prior to surgery (AB) and (2) adjusted standard costs from admission to discharge (AC). Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) admission, costs 30 days after discharge (AD), and cumulative costs (CC).
resultsIn total, 384 patients received selective, and 418 patients received nonselective alpha-blockade. The median age was 58 years (IQR 21 years). Median AB was significantly lower in the selective compared with nonselective alpha-blockade group ($19.73 versus $1033.70, p < 0.001). Median AC ($31,104.47 versus $31,471.90, p = 0.428) and AD ($790.78 versus $715.10, p = 0.074) were not significantly different between selective compared with nonselective alpha-blockade groups. On multivariable regression modeling, higher Elixhauser score (coeff.: $1,801.20, p < 0.001) and longer LOS (coeff.: $1842.33, p < 0.001) were associated with higher CC, while age (coeff.: $- 143.22, p = 0.044) was associated with lower CC. Notably, alpha-blockade strategy was not significantly associated with CC.
conclusionsWhen compared with nonselective alpha blockers, selective alpha blockers are associated with lower medication costs but equivalent hospitalization and post-hospitalization costs.
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