Outpatient arteriography: its safety and cost effectiveness

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Radiology
• Health Economics

Background:

• Arteriography is a crucial diagnostic tool in vascular and cardiovascular medicine.
• Evaluating the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of outpatient versus inpatient arteriography is essential for optimizing patient care and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the outcomes of outpatient arteriography over an 11-year period.
• To compare the complication rates, cost-effectiveness, and image quality of outpatient arteriography with inpatient procedures and digital subtraction angiography.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 2,029 outpatient arteriograms and 3,864 inpatient arteriograms over 11 years.
• Evaluation of complication rates, malpractice claims, cost savings, and image quality.

Main Results:

• Outpatient arteriography demonstrated a lower major complication rate than inpatient procedures.
• No malpractice claims were associated with outpatient arteriography.
• Significant cost savings were achieved with outpatient procedures.
• Conventional arteriography provided superior image quality and was deemed highly competitive with digital subtraction angiography.

Conclusions:

• Outpatient arteriography is a safe, economical, and effective procedure for vascular and cardiovascular diagnostics.
• The findings support the expanded use of outpatient arteriography in community hospitals.
• Conventional arteriography remains a competitive imaging modality, especially when performed on an outpatient basis.