SCAI Urges CMS to Reconsider Decision on Carotid Artery Stenting
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ — The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) expressed disappointment with Tuesday’s decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) not to expand coverage of carotid artery stenting (CAS) for a greater number of patients who are at risk of stroke.
CAS is a non-invasive procedure that places a stent in the carotid artery to increase blood flow in areas blocked by plaque. Currently, CMS fully covers carotid endarterectomy (CEA), the standard surgical procedure to remove plaque from the carotid artery, but only covers CAS for certain high-risk patients who have severe blockages and who cannot undergo surgery. This week’s decision means CMS will make no changes to its current coverage restrictions.
In making its decision, CMS cited a lack of published data on the benefits of CAS. However, the decision came just one day before the latest data from the Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection of Patients with High Risk for Endarterectomy (SAPPHIRE) Worldwide Registry was published in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions. SAPPHIRE demonstrated that CAS is as safe and effective as CEA in high-risk patients and continues to show comparable results after 30 days follow up.
“The SAPPHIRE results provide further support for the benefits of CAS compared to surgery for patients at increased risk of surgery due to both comorbid conditions and anatomic high-risk features whose carotid arteries are severely narrowed,” said Christopher J. White, MD, FSCAI, Chairman, Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans. “There is now compelling, published evidence that CAS is a good option for patients at risk of stroke.”
Additional peer-reviewed studies expected to be published this month may further support the benefits of CAS. Recent data from the CAPTURE and EXACT trials examine the safety and effectiveness of two brands of carotid stent and embolic protection systems. If new data continue to support CAS, SCAI will work with CMS to expand coverage of the procedure so more patients can benefit from a wider spectrum of treatment options.
“Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability in the United States, but new, less-invasive treatments, including carotid artery stents, are helping save lives,” said Bonnie H. Weiner, MD, FSCAI, SCAI immediate past president. “Patients deserve every possible option to help prevent stroke.”
More information about stroke and advances in interventional stroke treatments can be found at http://www.seconds-count.org/stroke.
About SCAI
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is a 4,000-member professional organization representing invasive and interventional cardiologists in more than 60 nations. SCAI’s mission is to promote excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine through physician education and representation, and advancement of quality standards to enhance patient care. SCAI’s annual meeting has become the leading venue for education, discussion, and debate about the latest developments in this dynamic medical specialty. SCAI’s new patient and physician education program, Seconds Count, offers comprehensive information about cardiovascular disease. For more information about SCAI and Seconds Count, visit http://www.scai.org/ or http://www.seconds-count.org/.
Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions
CONTACT: Kathy Boyd David of Society for Cardiovascular Angiography andInterventions, +1-717-422-1181, pr@scai.org
Web site: http://www.scai.org/http://www.seconds-count.org/