Average cost of angiography system up 26% in June

The average cost of angiography systems rose 26% in June as more hospitals purchased pricier systems used in hybrid operating rooms, according to the Modern Healthcare/ECRI Institute Technology Price Index.

The index looks at monthly and yearly price data for 30 supply and capital items purchased by hospitals and other healthcare providers, based on three-month rolling averages.

The average cost of angiography systems is about $1.5 million, while the cost of the most expensive models can reach $2.5 million, said Kevin Lee, an analyst in ECRI's healthcare technology advisory service. This includes biplane systems and single-plane systems, although hybrid ORs usually use single-plane systems. The average cost of angiography systems is up 9% for the year.

The angiography systems used in hybrid ORs allow clinicians to image a patient without moving him or her and are commonly used for complex open or minimally invasive surgeries.

“We first started seeing interest in angio systems for endovascular hybrid ORs around 2009,” Lee said. “Although there continues to be considerable buzz about angio systems for hybrid ORs, they are not popular purchases.”

Using angiography systems in hybrid ORs can be useful during more complex endovascular procedures. The hybrid OR systems are required in some procedures, such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation. But the costs of operating angiography systems in hybrid ORs are higher and the systems require highly specialized physicians and multidisciplinary staff, Lee noted.

The top manufacturers of angiography systems are GE Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Siemens and Toshiba. Annual service contracts for these systems range from $70,000 to $140,000.

Follow Jaimy Lee on Twitter: @MHjlee