Background: The efficacy of manual coronary thrombus aspiration during primary PCI [PPCI] was recently re-challenged by a large trial.
Aims: It was the purpose of this study to assess the effect of thrombus aspiration (TA) during PPCI on reperfusion and clinical outcome in a real-world STEMI population.
Methods and Materials: We analyzed the outcome of STEMI patients who underwent PPCI (initial TIMI flow grade 0/1), comparing patients who underwent aspiration (TA) to those who had standard (STD) therapy. The primary endpoint was mortality at short (one month) and long term (one year) follow-up. Secondary end points were post-PCI TIMI flow, myocardial blush, and LVEF.
Results: 1276 consecutive patients were included: 382 (30%) with TA and 894 (70%) with STD.
Conclusions: In this large cohort of real-world, unselected STEMI patients although TA improved the procedural results [Final TIMI flow and myocardial blush], no significant relationship of TA with one of the primary end points was found.
