Association between hospital cardiovascular procedural volumes and transcatheter mitral valve repair outcomes

Association Between Hospital Volume and 30-Day Readmissions After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Edge-to-Edge Repair

Data on the association between hospital procedural volume and 30-day readmissions after mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (mTEER) are limited. We used the 2019 Nationwide Readmissions Database to identify hospitals that performed at least 5 mTEERs. Hospitals were categorized based on tertiles of annual mTEER volume as low-volume (5 to 13), medium-volume (14 to 28), and high-volume (29 to 171). Multivariable hierarchical logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to examine the association between hospital mTEER volume and 30-day readmissions. Median (interquartile range) annual hospital mTEER volume was 20 (11.5 to 34). Of 234 hospitals included in the study, 77 (32.9%), 77 (32.9%), and 80 (34.2%) were categorized as low-volume, medium-volume, and high-volume. Of 5,574 index mTEER procedures included in this study, 634 (11.4%), 1,353 (24.3%), and 3,587 (64.3%) were performed at low-volume, medium-volume, and high-volume centers, respectively. In the overall study cohort, rates of 30-day all-cause readmissions after mTEER were 13.2%. In multivariable analyses, there was no significant association between hospital mTEER volume (as a categorical variable) and 30-day all-cause or cause-specific (cardiac, non-cardiac, heart failure) readmissions. Similarly, no significant relation was observed between hospital mTEER volume as a continuous variable and 30-day all-cause or cause-specific readmissions in restricted cubic spline analysis. In conclusion, in a nationally representative sample of 234 hospitals with >5,500 mTEER procedures, we found no association between annual hospital mTEER volume and 30-day all-cause or cause-specific readmissions.

Trends in outcomes, cost, and readmissions of transcatheter edge to edge repair in the United States (2014-2018)

INTRODUCTION

Despite the growth in transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) volume in the United States, data on the temporal changes in procedural outcomes are lacking.

METHODS

We utilized the National Readmission Database to assess the annual changes in patient's characteristics, in-hospital outcomes, cost, and readmissions for patients who underwent TEER between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018. Outcomes of interest included mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and any adverse event (AE). We also assessed length of stay and cost.

RESULTS

A total of 22,692 hospitalizations were included. The mean age increased from 75.2 ± 12.9 in 2014 to 78.1 ± 9.8 years in 2018. Changes in the prevalence of risk factors were heterogenous. The incidence of in-hospital mortality decreased from 4.0% in 2014 to 2.0% in 2018. Both MACE and any AE decreased significantly. Although the incidence of 30-day readmission remained stable, there was a trend towards a temporal increase in both 90-day and 180-day. The adjusted median length of stay of the index admission decreased by 50% and this trend was associated with a $2100 reduction in risk and inflation adjusted in-hospital cost, however, this reduction was offset by the increased total cost of readmissions within the first 6 months resulting in similar net-cost.

CONCLUSION

The volume of TEER has grown substantially between 2014 and 2018 coupled with a temporal improvement in in-hospital outcomes and reduction in cost and length of stay. Re-hospitalization rates after TEER remained steady at 30-day and trended towards worsening overtime at 90- and 180-days.