Denmark: coronary and structural heart interventions from 2010 to 2015

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Interventions
• Healthcare Systems

Background:

• Interventional cardiology has been established in Denmark since the mid-1980s.
• Procedures are concentrated in a few high-volume centers.
• Denmark offers universal, largely free healthcare with a mixed public hospital funding model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of the current landscape of interventional cardiology in Denmark.
• To highlight trends in procedure volumes and device utilization.
• To describe the healthcare system context for these interventions.

Main Methods:

• Data analysis of annual procedure volumes for coronary angiography (CAG), percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).
• Description of healthcare financing and hospital ownership in Denmark.
• Summary of stent and device usage in PCI procedures.

Main Results:

• Approximately 30,000 CAGs, 10,000 PCIs (25% primary), and 500 TAVIs are performed annually.
• CAG and PCI volumes have plateaued, while structural interventions (TAVI) are rising.
• Over 95% of PCI patients receive drug-eluting stents; bioabsorbable scaffolds and drug-eluting balloons show low but increasing use.

Conclusions:

• Interventional cardiology in Denmark is characterized by high-volume procedures concentrated in specialized centers.
• A shift towards increasing structural heart interventions is evident.
• The utilization of advanced stent technology is high, with emerging use of newer devices.