Five year trends in cardiac catheterization: A report from the registry of the society for cardiac angiography and interventions

The Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions has maintained a registry of cardiac catheterizations since 1979 and of percutaneous cardiac interventions since 1990. Data from 392,923 procedures (317,592 diagnostic catheterizations, 74,963 coronary interventions, and 368 valvuloplasties) for the years 1990-1994 inclusive are presented. Over the 5 year period there was a trend toward same day and 23 hr discharges (19% in 1990 to 29% in 1994), and a decrease in combined right and left heart prOCedures from 38% to 26%. For cardiac catheterizations ionic contrast use declined from 26% of procedures to 13% in 1994. The use of ionic contrast was even lower in interventional procedures, with laboratories reporting use in 21% of procedures in 1990 dropping to 9% in 1994. Balloons were the first choice device in 92.5% of native arteries and 82.7% of grafts in 1994. For the first time in 1994 more mitral than aortic valvuloplasties were reported.