Long-term mortality and costs following use of Impella® for mechanical circulatory support: a population-based cohort

Shannon M Fernando1,2, Danial Qureshi3,4,5, Peter Tanuseputro3,4,5,6,7

  • 1Division of Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada. sfernando@qmed.ca.

Insights

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) with the Impella device shows high in-hospital mortality for cardiogenic shock patients. One-year survival rates are only slightly worse, with most costs tied to initial hospitalization.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • The Impella device is a critical mechanical circulatory support (MCS) option for adults with cardiogenic shock.
  • Evaluating Impella's impact on patient outcomes and healthcare costs is essential for clinical and economic understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess short- and long-term outcomes, including mortality and healthcare utilization, following Impella device use in critically ill adults.
  • To analyze the associated healthcare system costs in the year post-Impella insertion.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective, population-based cohort study of 162 adult patients (≥16 years) in Ontario, Canada, from April 2012 to March 2019.
  • Data linkage with health administrative databases to track mortality (in-hospital, 30-day, 90-day, 1-year) and healthcare costs.
  • Analysis of inpatient costs and costs incurred in the year following index admission.

Main Results:

  • In-hospital mortality was 56.8%, with a 1-year mortality of 61.7%.
  • A majority of patients (67.9%) were bridged to a ventricular assist device.
  • Among survivors, only 38.6% were discharged home independently.
  • Median total healthcare costs in the year post-admission were $88,397, with inpatient care comprising the majority.

Conclusions:

  • In-hospital mortality for Impella use in cardiogenic shock is high, with only a marginal increase observed at one year.
  • Substantial healthcare costs associated with Impella therapy are primarily driven by inpatient stays, not post-discharge utilization.
Abstract