What is the published evidence of an association between hospital volume and outcome in elective carotid endarterectomy surgery?

Abbotts J, McIntosh H
Record ID 32013000474
English
Authors' recommendations: Summary There is equivocal evidence of an association between hospital volume and outcome in carotid endarterectomy. Surgeon factors such as volume, training and experience; and hospital factors such as case mix, bed capacity, critical care pathways, cardiac angiography, and a vascular recovery unit, may explain any relationship. No evidence has been found to demonstrate causality. In other words, even assuming an association between hospital volume and outcome in carotid endarterectomy, increasing the volume in low-volume hospitals or transferring all patients to high-volume hospitals will not necessarily lead to improved outcomes. To address the question of causality will require examination of prospective studies over a period of centralisation of vascular services. If a volume–outcome relationship exists in carotid endarterectomy surgery, and is causal, then modelling can be used to determine the threshold for the number of procedures a vascular unit should undertake to achieve optimal outcomes. No studies have been found which used an appropriate technique to do this. The UK frameworks identified recommend a minimum of either 35 elective CEA procedures, or 75 carotid endarterectomies, per year.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2012
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: Scotland, United Kingdom
MeSH Terms
  • Endarterectomy, Carotid
  • Hospitals
  • Hospital Mortality
Contact
Organisation Name: Scottish Health Technologies Group
Contact Address: Scottish Health Technologies Group, Delta House, 50 West Nile Street, Glasgow, G1 2NP Tel: 0141 225 6998
Contact Name: his.shtg@nhs.scot
Contact Email: his.shtg@nhs.scot
Copyright: Healthcare Improvement Scotland
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.