Economic Burden of Stroke in Brazil: Policy Implications and the Value of Telesurgery

Abstract Neurological stroke is the second leading cause of mortality in Brazil, where approximately 46% of patients never receive appropriate intervention. Telesurgery has the potential to expand access to treatment by enabling remotely assisted surgical procedures; however, its economic feasibility within Brazil’s public health system (SUS) remains unclear. We developed a socio-economic cost model to estimate the national burden of stroke in Brazil and to evaluate the impact of introducing remote treatment access. The model incorporated direct medical costs, productivity losses, disability severity using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) as well as different implementation scenarios. The current stroke burden is approximately $191 billion. With telesurgery implemented, the burden was reduced by $170 million under the lowest adoption scenario and by $11.7 billion under the highest adoption scenario. Telesurgery could improve access to stroke care and reduce long-term disability while being economically advantageous, suggesting an economically sustainable strategy for Brazil's public healthcare system.