Higher Hospital TAVR Volumes Linked to Lower 30-Day Readmission Rates

Fewer readmissions after transcatheter aortic-valve replacement procedures might cut overall healthcare costs by as much as $6.5 million annually.

With the commercial use of transcatheter aortic-valve replacement (TAVR) beginning to expand, investigators analyzed a 2014 U.S. administrative database on hospital readmissions to examine the relationships among hospitals' TAVR volumes, 30-day readmission rates, and costs. Data from about 130 hospitals performing over 18,000 procedures were analyzed; 16% of hospitals were low-volume (<50/year), 36% were medium-volume (50–99/year), and 48% were high-volume (≥100/year).

Overall, the incidence of 30-day all-cause readmissions was 16.4%. After adjustment for variables including patient demographics and comorbidities as well as procedural and hospital characteristics, the rate of readmission was significantly lower in high-volume hospitals (15.6…

Reviewing Author

Howard C. Herrmann, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAffluent Medical; Artedrone; Caranx; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic; Prolifagen; Wells Fargo

EquityMicrointerventional Devices, Inc.

RoyaltiesUniversity of Pennsylvania

Grant/Research SupportAbbott Vascular; Edwards Lifesciences; Johnson & Johnson; Medtronic

Editorial BoardsCatheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions; Journal of the American College of Cardiology; Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions; JACC Cardiovascular Interventions; JACC Case Reports; JSCAI

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesHeart Valve Collaboratory (Scientific Committee Member, Chair of the Publications Committee)