Do new devices add to the results of PTCA in acute myocardial infarction?

Coronary artery stenting and non-cardiac surgery--a prospective outcome study

BACKGROUND

A 45% complication rate and a mortality of 20% were reported previously in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery after coronary artery stenting. Discontinuation of antiplatelet drugs appeared to be of major influence on outcome. Therefore we undertook a prospective, observational multicentre study with predefined heparin therapy and antiplatelet medication in patients undergoing non-cardiac procedures after coronary artery stenting.

METHODS

One hundred and three patients from three medical institutions were enrolled prospectively. Patients received coronary artery stents within 1 yr before non-cardiac surgery (urgent, semi-urgent or elective). Antiplatelet drug therapy was not, or only briefly, interrupted. Heparin was administered to all patients. All patients were on an intensive/intermediate care unit after surgery. Main outcome was the combined (cardiac, bleeding, surgical, sepsis) complication rate.

RESULTS

Of 103 patients, 44.7% (95% CI 34.9-54.8) suffered complications after surgery; 4.9% (95% CI 1.6-11.0) of the patients died. All but two (bleeding only) adverse events were of cardiac nature. The majority of complications occurred early after surgery. The risk of suffering an event was 2.11-fold greater in patients with recent stents (<35 days before surgery) as compared with percutaneous cardiac intervention more than 90 days before surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite heparin and despite having all patients on intensive/intermediate care units, cardiac events are the major cause for new perioperative morbidity/mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery after coronary artery stenting. The complication rate exceeds the re-occlusion rate of stents in patients without surgery (usually <1% annually). Patients with coronary artery stenting less than 35 days before surgery are at the greatest risk.

Impact of intracoronary aspiration thrombectomy during primary angioplasty on left ventricular remodelling in patients with anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate prospectively the impact on left ventricular (LV) remodelling of an intracoronary aspiration thrombectomy device as adjunctive therapy in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with anterior ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

METHODS

76 consecutive patients with anterior STEMI (65.3 (11.2) years, 48 men) were randomly assigned to intracoronary thrombectomy and stent placement (n = 38) or to conventional stenting (n = 38) of the infarct related artery. Each patient underwent transthoracic echocardiography immediately after PCI and at six months. At the time of echocardiographic control, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in terms of death, new onset of myocardial infarction, and hospitalisation for heart failure were also evaluated.

RESULTS

After a successful primary PCI, patients in the thrombectomy group achieved a higher rate of post-procedure myocardial blush grade 3 (36.8% v 13.1%, p = 0.03) and effective ST segment resolution at 90 minutes (81.6% v 55.3%, p = 0.02). Six months after the index intervention, 19 patients (26.8%) developed LV dilatation, defined as an increase in end diastolic volume (EDV) >or= 20%: 15 in the conventional group and four in the thrombectomy group (p = 0.006). Accordingly, at six months patients treated conventionally had significantly higher end systolic volumes (82 (7.7) ml v 75.3 (4.9) ml, p < 0.0001) and EDV (152.5 (18.1) ml v 138.1 (10.7) ml, p < 0.0001) than patients treated with thrombectomy. No differences in cumulative MACE were observed (10.5% in the conventional group v 8.6% in the thrombectomy group, not significant).

CONCLUSION

Compared with conventional stenting, adjunctive aspiration thrombectomy in successful primary PCI seems to be associated with a significantly lower incidence of LV remodelling at six months in patients with anterior STEMI.

Initial thrombosuction with subsequent angioplasty in primary coronary intervention—comparison with conventional strategy

BACKGROUND

Large thrombus burden remains challenging in the setting of acute myocardial infarct. Initial thrombosuction (IT) followed by actual angioplasty may be advantageous over conventional strategy in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

With a case-control design, 22 consecutive patients receiving primary PCI with IT were designated as group 1. Another 22 well-matched patients undergoing primary PCI with conventional strategy in the same period were enrolled as group 2. Clinical and angiographic outcomes, procedural parameters and resource usage were compared.

RESULTS

Baseline characteristics were comparable, including the symptom onset-to-needle time (250+/-101 vs. 261+/-149 min, p = NS). Total procedure time (33+/-14 vs. 47+/-20 min, p = 0.011), fluoroscopy time (10+/-6 vs. 16+/-10 min, p = 0.014) and contrast medium consumption (140+/-40 vs. 170+/-50 ml, p = 0.024) were all significantly reduced with group 1. No-reflow occurred less frequently with group 1 (5% vs. 32%, p = 0.046) during intervention, and TIMI 3 flow was established more quickly (19+/-10 vs. 30+/-20 min, p = 0.024). Final TIMI 3 flow rates and stent rates were similar. The time to myocardial enzyme peak was shorter with group 1 (9.7+/-3.1 vs. 12.8+/-6.3 h, p = 0.048), but no difference was found in 3 months cumulative major cardiac adverse event rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary PCI with IT achieves earlier reperfusion and is more efficient in terms of time and resource, comparing to conventional strategy.

Percutaneous coronary revascularization improves the prognosis of patients with cardiogenic shock in acute coronary syndrome: a chronological study

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic shock complicating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) implies grim prognosis with conventional management. Previous studies of coronary intervention yielded controversial results and were rarely analyzed chronologically. This study was to determine the impact of percutaneous coronary revascularization on outcome by studying two time periods 5 years apart in which the revascularization was more frequent and techniques more refined in the later period.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

All patients admitted to the intensive or coronary care unit for ACS in two 1.5-year study periods (Period I: Jan 1994-Jun 1995, Period II: Oct 1999-Apr 2000) were retrospectively screened. Patients who met strict criteria of cardiogenic shock within 24 h of ACS were enrolled. The demographics, management and in-hospital/3-month outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven patients (33M/4F, aged 65+/-8 years) were enrolled in Period I and 32 patients (25M/7F, aged 68+/-13 years) in Period II. The incidence of cardiogenic shock was 11.8 and 9.3%, respectively. The demographics were similar except patients in Period II were older. Significantly more coronary angiography and interventions were done in the later period. The in-hospital (68 vs. 44%, P=0.047) and 3-month mortalities (70 vs. 44%, P=0.03) were significantly reduced in Period II. The in-hospital survivors in two study periods differed only in use of coronary angiography (94 vs. 50%, P=0.005) and interventions (83 vs. 33%, P=0.005) but not others.

CONCLUSIONS

Percutaneous coronary revascularization does improve the clinical outcome of cardiogenic shock when analyzed chronologically. This treatment is warranted in every such patient in the interventional era.

Export aspiration catheter thrombosuction before actual angioplasty in primary coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in lesions with a large thrombus load increases the procedural complication rate. We describe a thrombus reduction technique in this setting using the Export aspiration catheter (EAC) for primary thrombosuction before actual angioplasty. The EAC is a component of the GuardWire Plus system (PercuSurge, Sunnyvale, CA), which was originally developed for emboli containment in saphenous vein graft and peripheral vessel interventions. Primary EAC thrombosuction was performed successfully in 12 patients undergoing primary PCI, and gross thrombi were obtained from 9 patients (75%). After definitive treatment with balloon angioplasty and/or stenting, TIMI 3 flow was restored in all target vessels. There was no angiographic evidence of distal branch loss or vessel injury. No major procedural or in-hospital complication occurred in any patients. This primary EAC thrombosuction technique may offer a new, potentially effective method for thrombus burden reduction in treating AMI patients.