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The following is a summary of “Mitral Valve Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair Volumes and Trends,” published in the January 2024 issue of Cardiology by Kumar et al.
While operator experience is linked to better mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (MTEER) outcomes, the current landscape of its usage and procedural volumes remains unclear.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze annual operator procedural volumes, temporal trends, and geographic variability of MTEER among Medicare patients in the United States (US).
They conducted a study using data from the National Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Database, focusing on CPT code (33418), which pertains to the MitraClip device, covering the years 2015 to 2019. Their analysis involved examining annual procedural volumes and incidence among operators and identifying trends in the utilization of MitraClip across time and geographic regions.
The results showed that 27,034 MTEER procedures were conducted among Medicare patients in the US (2015 to 2019). The nationwide incidence rose from 6.2 per 100,000 patients in 2015 to 23.8 per 100,000 patients in 2019, marking a substantial 283% increase over the study duration (Ptrend < 0.001). The incidence of MTEER varied significantly by state, with an almost 900% difference observed (ranging from 5.5 to 54.9 per 100,000 person-years). By 2019, the average annual MTEER operator volume stood at 9.1 procedures, representing a growth from 6.2 per year in 2015.
Investigators concluded that MTEER use among US Medicare beneficiaries substantially rose from 2015-2019, with significant state variations.
Source: hindawi.com/journals/jitc/2023/6617035/
