People on Medicare who get elective surgery to open blocked heart arteries often do not get the recommended stress tests to confirm the surgery is warranted, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
The surgery, known as PCI or percutaneous coronary intervention, involves threading a balloon-tipped catheter through the arteries and opening up a clog. A tiny wire-mesh coil called a stent is often inserted to prop open the artery.
PCI costs Medicare, the U.S. government's health insurance program for people age 65 and older, $10,000 to $15,000 per procedure and has contributed significantly to increases in Medicare spending since the mid-1990s.....more
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