Left appendage occlusion

The HTA body of the Tuscany Regional Healthcare issues two types of documents: HTA forms and motivational forms. With regional decree 10778 of June 01, 2022, Tuscany Regional Healthcare has published assessments of nine medical devices in various therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular and peripheral vascular areas, surgical procedures, orthopedics, and dermatology.

On 20th of July, 2018, the Austrian HTA body, the Ludwig-Boltzmann Institute (LBI) has published an assessment of left atrial appendage closure to prevent stroke to determine national coverage of the procedure. Considering this evidence, the authors do not recommend the inclusion in the hospital benefit catalogue, neither for percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion nor for surgical closure using a special clip.

Hundreds of patients each year will benefit from fourteen new innovative treatments that will now be routinely available. These treatments include several devices and procedures: keraprosthesis for corneal blindness, left atrial appendage occlusion, selective dorsal rhizotomy and total pancreatectomy with islet transplantation for chronic pancreatitis.

New material codes for spinal distraction system and platinum surgical sealant for contact with lung tissue were added to the List of reimbursable devices of the Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) in August. Codes for application of intramedullary nails were changed and conditions of reimbursement for valvulotomy and percutaneous closure of the left atrial appendage were amended.