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Updated: Aug 29, 2025

Optimized Management of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Published on: January 18, 2018
Surgical Transmitral Thrombectomy to Prevent Recurrent Stroke in Acute Myocardial Infarction
Matthias Hasun1, Wilfried Wisser2, Maria Heger1
1Klinik Landstraße, Juchgasse 25, 1030 Wien, Austria.
Insights
Left ventricular thrombi can form after acute myocardial infarction despite treatment. Surgical removal is a rare but viable option to prevent dangerous embolism.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
Background:
- Left ventricular thrombi (LV-thrombi) complicate up to 14% of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) cases, even with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.
- Current AMI guidelines recommend anticoagulant therapy (AC) for patients with LV-thrombi.
Observation:
- A 46-year-old female patient with AMI developed mobile LV-thrombi despite AC and dual antiplatelet therapy.
- These mobile thrombi led to a cerebellar stroke, indicating a risk of systemic embolism.
Findings:
- Surgical thrombectomy via a transmitral approach with endoscopic assistance successfully removed the LV-thrombi.
- The patient experienced an uneventful postoperative course and a 12-month follow-up.
Implications:
- Careful monitoring of LV-thrombi morphology is crucial for identifying embolism risk.
- Surgical thrombectomy represents a rare but effective treatment option for preventing embolism in select cases, requiring careful risk-benefit assessment.
Abstract:
Left ventricular (LV)-thrombi occur in up to 14 % of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention. For these patients, anticoagulant therapy (AC) is recommended by AMI-guidelines. When, despite AC, LV-thrombi lead to embolism, surgical thrombectomy is an option, which is not mentioned or not recommended in AMI-guidelines. We report a 46-year old female patient with AMI. An 80 % stenosis of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery was treated by a drug-eluting stent. Thrombi within the akinetic LV-apex became mobile despite AC and dual antiplatelet therapy, and a cerebellar stroke occurred. By a transmitral surgical approach with endoscopic assistance the thrombi were completely removed. Postoperative course and 12-months follow-up were uneventful. LV-thrombi should be observed carefully regarding changes in morphology. Surgical thrombectomy of LV-thrombi is a rare treatment option to prevent imminent embolism. Benefits versus risks of surgical removal of LV-thrombi need to be carefully weighted.
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