Restoration of Epicardial Blood Flow After Left Ventricular Unloading With the Impella CP Heart Pump in a Patient With STEMI Treated With Surgical Revascularization

Abstract

Left main occlusion presenting as ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is an exceedingly morbid condition. This article reports a case of cardiac arrest in a patient after a treadmill stress test. Coronary angiography revealed 100% occlusion of the left main coronary artery. Left ventricular unloading with the Impella CP heart pump (ABIOMED/Johnson & Johnson MedTech) was used, after which epicardial blood flow was restored without angioplasty. The patient underwent surgical revascularization. Despite a prolonged revascularization time, there was no evidence of severe myocardial injury postoperatively.

Keywords

• coronary occlusion
• myocardial reperfusion injury
• myocardial infarction