Open valve replacement and repair

In August 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published one new Interventional Procedure Guidance (aortic valve reconstruction with glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardium for aortic valve disease) and one new Diagnostic Guidance (quantitative faecal immunochemical testing to guide colorectal cancer pathway referral in primary care). Also, five clinical guidelines were updated.

On June 8, 2023, Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI-RIZIV) published an updated List of reimbursable devices and Nominative lists of brands to come into force on July 1, 2023. Three new material codes concerning cardiovascular and spinal procedures were introduced. Several new branded devices were registered on the Nominative Lists connected to new and already existing material codes.

In the second half of December 2022, the Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment (OSTEBA) released a report aiming to evaluate mitral valve repair surgery as an alternative to mitral valve replacement.

In November 2022, the National Board of Health and Welfare released the Swedish version of the NordDRG system to come into force in January 2023, including the list of DRG codes, names, and cost-weights. A total of 77 new DRGs will be implemented. Key new DRGs were introduced in cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and endoscopy fields, also for breast reconstruction and bone-anchored hearing implants.

In November 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published two new Interventional Procedure Guidance (percutaneous implantation of pulmonary artery pressure sensors in chronic heart failure and coronary sinus narrowing device implantation for refractory angina), one new Medical Technologies Guidance (Synergo for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer), one new Diagnostic Guidance (SeHCAT for diagnosing bile acid diarrhea), and four new Medtech Innovation Briefings (clonoSEQ for minimal residual disease, CerebAir for continuous EEG monitoring, 24/7 EEG SubQ for epilepsy, Paige Prostate for prostate cancer). Also, three new clinical guidelines were published, and six were updated.

On October 30, 2020, the Swiss Federal Statistics Office (UFS) published the 2021 version of the procedure code (CHOP) nomenclature in French and Italian. The version in the German language was published in July 2020. The most important changes regard cardiovascular and peripheral vascular interventions.

The report presents a summary of reimbursement situation for open replacement of heart valves (aortic, mitral, tricuspid and pulmonary). Report includes information about two types of prosthetic heart valves: biological valves, mechanical prosthetic valves. Open replacement of heart valves will be analyzed in conjunction with open coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The analysis covers procedure coding, payment mechanism, reimbursement tariffs and policy restrictions in 11 EU countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

In August, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published four new interventional procedure guidance for leadless cardiac pacemaker implantation for bradyarrhythmias, superior rectal artery embolisation for haemorrhoids, sutureless aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis and transurethral water vapour ablation for benign prostatic hyperplasia, and four new medtech innovation briefings.

On 25th of September, the Norwegian Decision Forum of “New Methods” had a meeting to review several medical technologies and IVD tests. Decisions were made in relation to the introduction of 2 new newborn screening tests, prehospital emergency thoracotomy, aortic valve replacement using sutureless stent Perceval, and digital breast tomosynthesis.