AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Sep 2004
Multicenter StudyIncrease in utilization of percutaneous renal artery interventions by medicare beneficiaries, 1996-2000.
Our purpose was to review data from Medicare physician claims to ascertain differences in annual volumes of renal artery interventions versus surgery and differences in utilization of renal artery interventions among geographic regions according to physician provider type between 1996 and 2000. ⋯ Among Medicare beneficiaries, the volume of percutaneous renal artery interventions is increasing rapidly, whereas the volume of renal artery surgery is declining. Most growth in percutaneous renal artery revascularization is attributed to increased performance by cardiologists; explosive growth in annual procedure volume by cardiologists occurred in some regions. Marked disparity in use among CMS regions was found.