Functional Mapping for Glioma Surgery: A Propensity-matched Analysis of Outcomes and Cost

Abstract Objective To compare clinical outcomes and payments between glioma resections with and without functional mapping. Methods The Thomas Reuters MarketScan national longitudinal database was used to identify patients undergoing resection of supratentorial primary malignant glioma with or without functional mapping between 2007-2016. Patients were stratified into mapped and unmapped (conventional) groups, and subsequently propensity-matched based on demographics, clinical comorbidities, and surgical characteristics (i.e., use of stereotactic navigation, microscope, intratumoral chemotherapy). Outcomes and charges were compared between matched groups using bivariate analyses. Results A total of 14,037 patients were identified, of which 796 (6.0%) received functional mapping. Propensity-matching (1:1) resulted in 796 mapped patients and 796 propensity-matched controls. Thirty-day postoperative rates of new-onset seizures, cerebral edema, hemorrhage, and neurological deficits were significantly lower for the functional mapping group (all p Conclusion Intraoperative functional mapping during glioma resection was associated with decreased complications, reoperations, emergency department visits, and shorter lengths of stay. Furthermore, total charges of mapped resections were not significantly different from those of conventional resections. These findings support the utility of functional mapping for resection of supratentorial primary malignant gliomas.