Percutaneous coronary intervention procedures performed in an ASC may result in increased bleeding complications, according to a study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.
Medpage Today reported on the study Nov. 9. Researchers examined patients who underwent PCI procedures at either a hospital outpatient department (95,492) or ASC (849) from 2007-16.
Patients with stable ischemic heart disease at the ASC fared similarly to HOPD patients when comparing primary composite outcome of 30-day myocardial infarction, bleeding complications or hospital admission.
However, average patients undergoing a PCI at an ASC were associated with increased bleeding complications. ASCs were also less likely to use fractional flow reserve. Researchers believe this is because the practice is not reimbursed by CMS, despite it being tied to improved long-term outcomes.
Researchers said: "Allowing PCIs to be performed in ASCs is a logical extension of current practice that has potential for saving healthcare dollars. However, because it is new and unproven in the Medicare population, performing PCI in an ASC environment requires strict adherence to regulatory requirements and operational recommendations." Researchers cautioned that ASCs should develop and adapt a quality assurance program and use a specific data registry to track outcomes.