Percutaneous coronary intervention for left main coronary artery malperfusion in acute type A aortic dissection

The clinical outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for left main coronary artery (LMCA) malperfusion caused by acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing PCI for LMCA malperfusion caused by AAAD. We examined nine consecutive patients undergoing PCI for LMCA malperfusion caused by AAAD between 1995 and 2020. The mean age was 55.4 ± 7.7 years. Eight patients presented cardiogenic shock, and five patients cardiopulmonary arrest. Two patients were diagnosed with AAAD before coronary angiography using computed tomography and transthoracic echocardiography, respectively, and in the other seven patients after coronary angiography using other modalities. Four patients underwent PCI on intra-aortic balloon pumping support, and four patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) support, including one patient on both. PCI was successful in eight patients, with final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction grade 2 or 3. The four patients on VA-ECMO did not undergo aortic dissection repair due to poor recovery of cardiac function and died during the hospital stay, and the other five patients had successful PCI, underwent aortic dissection repair, and remained alive at 5 year follow-up. In conclusion, LMCA malperfusion caused by AAAD seemed to have clinical presentations and electrocardiogram changes similar to acute coronary syndrome. PCI and subsequent surgical aortic repair saved the lives of all AAAD patients with LMCA malperfusion who had not required VA-ECMO.