Characteristics and Outcomes of PCI Among Patients Ineligible for Surgical Revascularization in the Veterans Affairs...

Ineligibility for surgical revascularization is increasingly prevalent and associated with increased mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). High-quality, contemporary, multicenter data regarding clinical outcomes after PCI is scarce and poses a barrier to clinical decision-making for surgically ineligible patients. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the clinical characteristics, institutional variation, and longitudinal outcomes of PCI among surgically eligible and ineligible patients in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Patients with left main and/or multivessel coronary artery disease undergoing index PCI between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2022 were identified and the prevalence of surgical ineligibility determined by review of the electronic medical record. The association between surgical ineligibility and mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE; death, myocardial infarction, repeat revascularization, and stroke) was assessed.

A total of 6192 patients with left main and/or multivessel coronary artery disease (842 surgically ineligible and 5350 surgically eligible) underwent PCI during the study period. After adjustment, surgical ineligibility was associated with a significantly decreased time to mortality (time ratio, 0.801 [95% CI, 0.662-0.970]) over a median 1045-day (interquartile range, 583-1600) follow-up period, though not associated with composite MACE (time ratio, 0.859 [95% CI, 0.685-1.078]). After adjustment for target lesion characteristics and procedural complexity, the association between surgical ineligibility and mortality was attenuated (time ratio, 0.842 [95% CI, 0.688-1.030]).

Ineligibility for surgical revascularization was associated with increased risk of long-term mortality after PCI. The risk of adverse outcomes after PCI, however, was similar among surgically eligible and ineligible patients after adjusting for measured comorbidities, coronary anatomic features, and procedural complexity.