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Updated: Oct 26, 2025

Utilizing Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Devices in Acute Myocardial Infarction Complicated by Cardiogenic Shock
Published on: June 12, 2021
Complete Revascularisation in Impella-Supported Infarct-Related Cardiogenic Shock Patients Is Associated With
Andreas Schäfer1, Ralf Westenfeld2, Jan-Thorben Sieweke1
1Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Cardiac Arrest Center, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany.
Insights
Complete revascularization with Impella support before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may lower mortality in acute myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) patients. This strategy shows better outcomes than incomplete revascularization or post-PCI Impella implantation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Acute myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) has a high in-hospital mortality rate.
- Previous trials showed no benefit of routine intra-aortic balloon pump use in AMI-CS.
- The CULPRIT-SHOCK trial found no benefit of multivessel vs. culprit-lesion only revascularization in AMI-CS, with limited mechanical circulatory support use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that complete revascularization facilitated by Impella support reduces mortality in AMI-CS patients.
- To evaluate the impact of Impella implantation timing and revascularization completeness on outcomes in AMI-CS.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 202 consecutive Impella-treated AMI-CS patients from four European high-volume shock centers.
- Patients with cardiac arrest before Impella implantation: 47%.
- Incomplete revascularization defined as residual SYNTAX-score (rS) > 8.
Main Results:
- Overall 30-day mortality was 47%.
- Higher mortality observed with post-PCI Impella implantation (57%) versus pre-PCI (38%) and with incomplete revascularization (rS > 8: 56%) versus complete (rS ≤ 8: 37%).
- Patients receiving Impella pre-PCI with complete revascularization had significantly lower mortality (33%) compared to those with incomplete revascularization and post-PCI Impella (72%).
Conclusions:
- Complete revascularization supported by Impella implanted prior to PCI is associated with lower mortality in AMI-CS patients.
- This retrospective analysis suggests a potential benefit of early Impella support combined with complete revascularization in managing AMI-CS.
Abstract:
Background: Acute myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock (AMI-CS) still has high likelihood of in-hospital mortality. The only trial evidence currently available for the intra-aortic balloon pump showed no benefit of its routine use in AMI-CS. While a potential benefit of complete revascularisation has been suggested in urgent revascularisation, the CULPRIT-SHOCK trial demonstrated no benefit of multivessel compared to culprit-lesion only revascularisation in AMI-CS. However, mechanical circulatory support was only used in a minority of patients. Objectives: We hypothesised that more complete revascularisation facilitated by Impella support is related to lower mortality in AMI-CS patients. Methods: We analysed data from 202 consecutive Impella-treated AMI-CS patients at four European high-volume shock centres (age 66 ± 11 years, 83% male). Forty-seven percentage (n = 94) had cardiac arrest before Impella implantation. Revascularisation was categorised as incomplete if residual SYNTAX-score (rS) was >8. Results: Overall 30-day mortality was 47%. Mortality was higher when Impella was implanted post-PCI (Impella-post-PCI: 57%, Impella-pre-PCI: 38%, p = 0.0053) and if revascularisation was incomplete (rS ≤ 8: 37%, rS > 8: 56%, p = 0.0099). Patients with both pre-PCI Impella implantation and complete revascularisation had significantly lower mortality (33%) than those with incomplete revascularisation and implantation post PCI (72%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our retrospective analysis suggests that complete revascularisation supported by an Impella microaxial pump implanted prior to PCI is associated with lower mortality than incomplete revascularisation in patients with AMI-CS.
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