Nationwide Trends in Catheter-Directed Therapy Utilization for the Treatment of Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis in Medicare Beneficiaries

Abstract

PurposeTo determine overall and provider specialty trends in the use of catheter-directed therapy for lower extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) treatment in the Medicare population. Materials and MethodsUsing data obtained from 2007–2017 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 5% research identifiable files, all claims associated with acute and chronic lower extremity DVT were identified. The annual volume of 2 services—venous percutaneous transluminal thrombectomy (current procedural terminology [CPT] code 37187) and venous infusion for thrombolysis (CPT code 37201 from 2007 to 2012 and CPT code 37212 from 2013 to 2017)—was examined for trends in DVT intervention. Utilization rates based on region and the place of service were calculated. The results were further categorized based on primary operator type (radiology, cardiology, surgery, and other). ResultsThe total number of DVT interventions increased over time, with 4.27 service counts per 100,000 beneficiaries in 2007 increasing to 13.4 by 2017, a growth rate of 12.09%. Radiologists performed the majority of interventions each year, except in 2013, in which they performed 46.6% of interventions, whereas surgeons and cardiologists combined performed the other 53.4%. In 2017, radiologists performed 7.56 services per 100,000 beneficiaries, which was 56.8% of the total count, more than those performed by surgeons, cardiologists, and unspecified providers combined. ConclusionsCatheter-directed therapy is increasingly being used for the treatment of DVT, with its use undergoing a nearly 12-fold increase from 2007 to 2017 in the Medicare population. Radiologists remained the dominant provider of these services throughout the majority of study period, with a relative reduction in market share from 72% in 2007 to 57% in 2017.