IMV Market Report Shows Increased Cath Lab Purchase Activity over the Next 3 Years
Des Plaines, IL (PRWEB) October 02, 2013 -- Purchasing activity for cardiac catheterization labs in the U.S. appears to be growing as more healthcare facilities look to replace aging equipment, according to a new report by IMV Medical Information Division. The census-based report found that both patient volume and installed base are rising as the market recovers from a recent slowdown.
According to the IMV report, purchasing activity for cath lab equipment is increasing. While patient volume has increased at a rate of 0.5% per year, the number of identified fixed cath lab systems has increased at an average annual growth rate of 3.3%, from 4,225 units as of IMV's 2008 census to 4,980 units in 2012.
Going forward, an estimated 44% of surveyed cath lab sites are considering the purchase of cath lab units over the next three years to replace units or add rooms. This is likely due to several factors, including the following:
• An installed base of older units. The average replacement cycle is 11.1 years for sites that are planning to replace their units, up from 10.0 years in 2008. While cath lab facilities are holding on to their units longer, the peak years of cath lab installations occurred about a decade ago, so sites are replacing a larger number of aging units.
• Continued innovation and interest in using the cath lab rooms for minimally invasive procedures, including noncardiac procedures such as carotid, iliac, femoral, run-off, renal, and extremity studies. Since 2000, the proportion of cath lab rooms being used for noncardiac cases has increased from 47% to 67%. In addition to diagnostic cardiologists and interventional radiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons and endovascular/vascular surgeons are performing procedures in cath lab settings.
• More than one-third of purchase plans are for adding fixed C-arms for use with cardiac and noncardiac procedures. In addition to adding units to the traditional cath lab or cardiology suites, at least 7% of sites are planning to locate their additional units in surgery/OR departments.
An estimated 3.82 million patient cases were performed at 2,100 cardiac cath lab sites in 2012, including both cardiac and noncardiac patient cases. Over the past decade, the total volume of patient cases peaked in 2006 at 4.21 million and declined to a low of 3.75 million in 2008. Since 2009, total patient volume has been relatively stable, increasing at an average annual growth rate of 0.5%.
“This slowdown in patient cases handled by cath labs is due to the convergence of several factors,” observed Lorna Young, senior director of market research at IMV. “With the advent of CT coronary angiography (CTA) procedures, the volume of diagnostic cath procedures appears to have declined. In addition, the increased use of preauthorization policies by third-party insurers may be at play.”
IMV's 2013 Cardiac Cath Lab Market Summary Report describes trends in patient cases, cath lab imaging systems, remote navigation platforms, diagnostic review stations, electrophysiology, hemodynamic systems, power injectors for cath contrast, and site operations characteristics. Vendors covered in the report for these cath lab-related technologies include Agfa, Bracco, Covidien, Fujifilm, GE, McKesson, Medrad, Merge, Philips, Siemens, and Toshiba.
The data source for this report is IMV's 2012/13 Cardiac Catheterization Lab Census Database, which provides comprehensive profiles of cath labs in the U.S. For more information about IMV's Cardiac Cath Census Database and corresponding reports, visit the corporate website at http://www.imvinfo.com or call 847-297-1404, ext. 116, to speak with a representative.
IMV Medical Information Division is a marketing research and consulting firm founded in 1977, specializing in medical imaging and other advanced healthcare technology markets. IMV's marketing research services, in combination with its databases of U.S. imaging sites with selected modalities, provide clients with valuable assistance in strategic planning, customer satisfaction, product development, and sales initiatives.
Gail Prochaska, IMV Ltd., http://www.imvinfo.com, +1 847-297-1404 116, [email protected]
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