High-risk percutaneous coronary intervention using the intracardiac microaxial pump ‘Impella Recover’

Feasibility and long-term safety of elective Impella-assisted high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention: a pilot two-centre study

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the acute and long-term results of the use of a new intracardiac microaxial pump, the Impella Recover LP 2.5, during elective high-risk percutaneous coronary interventions in a two-centre registry.

METHODS

Ten consecutive patients with poor left ventricular function and multivessel or left main coronary artery disease were considered at high risk of haemodynamic compromise and underwent percutaneous coronary interventions with preintervention Impella implantation. Procedural complications, 30-day and 12-month clinical outcome were recorded. Left ventricular ejection fraction was assessed by echocardiography before procedure and after at least 6 months.

RESULTS

The Impella was implanted before percutaneous coronary interventions by femoral approach and percutaneous coronary interventions were successfully performed (by contra lateral femoral or radial approach) in all cases. After percutaneous coronary intervention, Impella was removed in all patients, and haemostasis was obtained by prolonged manual compression or by double suture device preimplantation technique. No access-site complication was observed and no patient required transfusions. One patient died after Impella removal due to acute stent thrombosis. The other patients had an uncomplicated in-hospital course and were discharged within 5 days. At 1-year follow-up, no patient died nor suffered acute myocardial infarction, whereas two patients underwent re-percutaneous coronary intervention. Left ventricular ejection fraction at follow-up increased significantly in this study population (from 31 +/- 7% to 41% +/- 13%, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Our results support the feasibility and safety of Impella-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention in high-risk patients. Prospective randomized trials are needed to test the clinical impact of such an innovative approach.

Experiencia inicial con la asistencia ventricular izquierda tipo «Impella» para el shock cardiogénico poscardiotomía y la angioplastia de tronco coronario izquierdo no protegido con baja fracción de eyección ventricular izquierda

Low-output syndrome is one of the leading causes of death following open-heart surgery or high-risk angioplasty. Ventricular assist devices have been used to treat patients who suffer from postoperative cardiogenic shock despite use of an intraaortic balloon pump and maximum inotropic support. The Impella pump (Impella Cardiosystems AG, Aachen, Germany) is a newly introduced left ventricular assist device that has been shown to reduce infarct size and to accelerate recovery of stunned myocardium. We report our initial experience using the Impella device for the treatment of cardiogenic shock following cardiopulmonary bypass and for maintaining hemodynamic stability in high-surgical-risk patients undergoing unprotected left coronary artery angioplasty.

Cardiogenic Shock: Collaboration Between Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology Subspecialties to Bridge to Recovery

Acute cardiogenic shock is a lethal condition that results in death from myocardial failure, arrhythmia, or combinations of both. Aggressive medical, surgical, and interventional maneuvers have helped reduce the mortality. For the most advanced cases, ventricular assist devices have been used for persistent shock states. The purpose of this report is to describe the collaboration between cardiac surgery and cardiology subspecialty in an effort to promote native heart recovery in a complex case of cardiogenic shock requiring coronary artery bypass surgery, percutaneous coronary intervention, ventricular ablative therapy, and mechanical cardiac support.