News

A new review of Medicare data shows a marked increase for both arterial and venous thrombectomy claims for venous thromboembolic disease filed between 2017–2022. Researchers analyzed a sampling of arterial and venous thrombectomy Medicare claims submitted from January 2017 to December 2022 and found a 712% increase in arterial thrombectomy (AT) for pulmonary embolism (PE) and a 137% increase in venous thrombectomy for deep vein thrombosis over that time, according to the new paper published online in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. The study was supported by the Society of Interventional Radiology. The growth reflects the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for PE, according to Julie C. Bulman, MD, the lead author of the study and an interventional radiologist with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The analysis also broke down the delivery of treatment by specialty, demonstrating that this area is a shared space. Finally, researchers found that most interventions are performed in an outpatient setting indicating that better anticoagulation techniques deployed in emergency settings have allowed patients to seek follow up care in an outpatient setting, which is overall positive for the patient, Dr. Bulman said. Read the press release.