High-tech Cardiac Interventions in Russia Up 38% Over Six Years

Between 2018 and 2024, cardiothoracic surgical volume grew by 38%, with PCI volume increasing 55%. This expansion was driven by a major build-out of the specialized regional vascular center network, per the Ministry of Health.

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Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a contemporary, low-trauma procedure in which a thin catheter is advanced, typically via the radial or femoral artery, through a small puncture to deploy a stent that restores normal coronary blood flow. The technique often eliminates the need for open-heart surgery.

Data from the Bakulev National Medical Research Center for Cardiovascular Surgery indicate that PCI volume rose from 221,500 in 2018 to 342,100 in 2024. Of particular clinical significance: PCI coverage for acute coronary syndromes (ACS), conditions requiring emergent reperfusion, nearly doubled, from 29.9% to 56.4%. Now, more than half of ACS patients receive timely, guideline-directed high-tech revascularization.

Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko highlighted that, thanks to the national “Zdravookhranenie” project (2019–2024), in-hospital and 30-day case fatality rates from vascular events and circulatory diseases fell by 33%. For 2023 and 2024, Russia recorded its lowest-ever cardiovascular mortality rates: 549.9 and 555.3 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively. Over the project period, 151 additional regional vascular centers were brought online.

A promising preventive approach is remote blood pressure monitoring. The Ministry of Health reports that the system has been piloted in 50,000 patients across 17 regions. Patients receive automated home monitors that transmit readings directly to their physicians. Stress testing with myocardial perfusion imaging is also being expanded, an advanced modality that detects coronary flow limitations at earlier, reversible stages.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in Russia and worldwide, with stroke accounting for nearly half of all CVD fatalities. Previously, Marus Media covered how to recognize a stroke and the current standards of treatment for this condition both in Russia and worldwide.

Source: TASS

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