The impact of intracoronary thrombus aspiration on STEMI outcomes

Sa'ar Minha1, Ran Kornowski, Hana Vaknin-Assa

  • 1Cardiology Department, Assaf-Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, and Sackler, Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.

Insights

Manual coronary thrombus aspiration in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) showed no overall benefit. However, aspiration improved outcomes in specific STEMI subgroups with large jeopardized myocardium.

Area of Science:

  • Interventional Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Acute Coronary Syndromes

Background:

  • Manual coronary thrombus aspiration was previously linked to better outcomes in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.
  • Real-world outcomes of aspiration during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) require evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the effectiveness of manual coronary thrombus aspiration in STEMI patients undergoing PPCI.
  • To compare outcomes between aspiration (ASP) and standard (STD) therapy in a real-world setting.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 1035 STEMI patients with initial Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade 0/1 undergoing PPCI were analyzed.
  • Patients were divided into aspiration (ASP) and standard (STD) therapy groups.
  • Clinical endpoints included 30-day and 1-year mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in 30-day or 1-year mortality or MACE were observed between ASP and STD groups.
  • ASP patients were younger and had a higher incidence of direct stenting.
  • A significant benefit of aspiration was noted in patients with proximal culprit lesions, anterior infarcts, and right ventricular involvement.

Conclusions:

  • Manual thrombus aspiration during PPCI did not demonstrate overall improved clinical outcomes in STEMI patients.
  • Aspiration may offer sustained clinical benefits in specific STEMI patient subgroups with extensive myocardial damage.
Abstract

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