Differences in Short-Term Outcomes and Hospital-Based Resource Utilization Between Septal Reduction Strategies for Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND: Given clinical equipoise in a subset of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (OHCM) patients who are candidates for both alcohol septal ablation (ASA) or septal myectomy (SM), other considerations such as cost, readmissions, and hospital length of stay (LOS) may be important to optimize healthcare resource utilization and inform shared decision making. METHODS: In this retrospective observational analysis of the United States Nationwide Readmissions Database years 2012-2014, we identified adults who underwent isolated septal reduction (SR) for OHCM. We studied the differences in short-term outcomes (inpatient mortality and 90-day readmission rate) and in-hospital resource utilization (LOS and costs) between the SR strategies. RESULTS: Of the 2250 patients in this study, ASA was performed in 1113 (49.5%) and SM in 1137 (50.5%). Inpatient mortality occurred in 21 patients (0.9%), with similar rates between strategies (10 SM patients [0.9%] vs 11 ASA patients [1.0%]; P=.30). Of the 2229 patients who survived to discharge, 298 (13.4%) were readmitted 386 times within 90 days with a similar readmission rate between SM (14.9%) and ASA (11.8%; P=.16). During the index admission, average LOS and cost were significantly lower for ASA (3.9 days, United States [US] $20,322) compared with SM (7.6 days, US $39,470; P<.001). Average LOS and cost during 90-day readmissions were similar between ASA and SM. Combining index admissions and readmissions, patients undergoing ASA had significantly lower LOS and hospitalization costs. CONCLUSIONS: In this non-randomized observational study of OHCM patients undergoing isolated septal reduction, ASA was associated with similar short-term outcomes, including mortality, but substantially lower hospitalization costs and LOS compared with SM.