Key result
Nearly ~78% of US PCI operators rarely or never use intravascular imaging.
Why the study?
Despite clinical trials showing reduced adverse events with IVI-guided PCI, IVI is infrequently used in the US, and operator variation and characteristics of low users have not been previously studied.
What operator characteristics are associated with the use of intravascular imaging during PCI?
Cross-Sectional (n=3,386)
Yes
What operator characteristics are associated with the use of intravascular imaging during PCI?
p-value: p=<0.01
Intravascular imaging is severely underutilized by PCI operators in the United States, highlighting a need for updated guidelines, reimbursement changes, and enhanced training for earlier-graduating physicians.
Earlier graduation and smaller hospitals were associated with lower intravascular imaging use; leaves open causal mechanisms and does not warrant practice changes.
Despite randomized trials1 showing reduced target vessel failure and major adverse cardiovascular events with intravascular imaging (IVI) guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), IVI is used in only 7.8% of all PCI in the United States.2,3 Operator variation in IVI use and characteristics of operators with low IVI use have not been previously studied.
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See et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in PCI operators (intermediate to high-volume) (n=3,386). Operator characteristics (graduation year, hospital size, geographic region) was evaluated on Low or no intravascular imaging (IVI) use (IVI to PCI ratio ≤ 0.30) (p=<0.01). Among 3,386 intermediate to high-volume US PCI operators, 77.8% had low or no use of intravascular imaging, with earlier graduation year and smaller hospital size significantly associated with lower use.
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