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A Simplified Stepwise Approach to Echo Guidance during Percutaneous Mitral Valve Repair
Published on: October 16, 2021
Mitral Valve Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair Volumes and Trends
Kris Kumar1,2, Timothy F Simpson1, Harsh Golwala1
1Knight Cardiovascular Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
Background:
Despite an association between operator volumes and procedural success, there remains an incomplete understanding of the contemporary utilization and procedural volumes for mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (MTEER). We aimed to identify annual operator procedural volumes, temporal trends, and geographic variability for MTEER among Medicare patients in the United States (US).
Methods:
We queried the National Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Database for a CPT code (33418) specific for MitraClip device from 2015 through 2019. We analyzed annual operator procedural volumes and incidence and identified longitudinal and geographic trends in MTEER utilization.
Results:
From 2015 through 2019, a total of 27,034 MTEER procedures were performed among Medicare patients in the US. The nationwide incidence increased from 6.2 per 100,000 patients in 2015 to 23.8 per 100,000 patients in 2019, a 283% increase over the study period (Ptrend < 0.001). The incidence of MTEER by state varied by nearly 900% (range 5.5 to 54.9 per 100,000 person-years). In 2019, the mean annual MTEER operator annual volume was 9.1 MTEER procedures and had grown from 6.2 per year in 2015.
Conclusions:
In this nationwide study of Medicare beneficiaries in the United States, we identified a significant and sustained increase in the utilization of MTEER devices and operators and growth in annual procedural volumes from 2015 through 2019 with considerable variability in utilization by state. Further studies are needed to understand the clinical impact of variability in utilization and the optimal procedural volumes to ensure high efficacy outcomes and maintain critical access to MTEER therapies.
Insights
Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) utilization significantly increased among Medicare patients from 2015-2019. Operator procedural volumes also grew, but geographic variability in TEER use persists.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Interventional Cardiology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Operator experience is linked to procedural success in transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER).
- Contemporary utilization and procedural volumes for TEER remain incompletely understood.
- Understanding trends is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes and access to care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify annual operator procedural volumes for TEER.
- To analyze temporal trends in TEER utilization.
- To examine geographic variability in TEER among US Medicare patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the National Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Database.
- Analyzed data for CPT code 33418 (MitraClip) from 2015 to 2019.
- Assessed annual operator procedural volumes, incidence, and longitudinal/geographic trends.
Main Results:
- 27,034 TEER procedures were performed between 2015-2019.
- Nationwide TEER incidence rose 283% (6.2 to 23.8 per 100,000 patients).
- Significant state-level variability in TEER incidence (5.5 to 54.9 per 100,000) and mean annual operator volume (9.1 procedures in 2019) were observed.
Conclusions:
- TEER utilization and operator procedural volumes significantly increased from 2015-2019.
- Considerable geographic variability in TEER utilization exists across US states.
- Further research is needed to understand the clinical impact of this variability and determine optimal procedural volumes for efficacy and access.
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