REC: Interventional Cardiology (English Ed.) (Aug 2019)

Procedural and clinical benefits of selective thrombus aspiration in primary PCI. Insights from the TAPER Registry

  • Alfonso Jurado-Román,
  • José Manuel Montero-Cabezas,
  • Gonzalo Martínez,
  • Javier Molina-Martín de Nicolás,
  • José Abellán,
  • Martin J. Schalij,
  • Alberto Fuensalida,
  • Axel de Labriolle,
  • María T. López-Lluva,
  • Ignacio Sánchez-Pérez,
  • Fernando Lozano

DOI
https://doi.org/10.24875/RECICE.M19000043
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 3
pp. 175 – 182

Abstract

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ABSTRACT Introduction and objectives: After the results of several randomized trials, routine thrombus aspiration (TA) has remained out of the spotlight after not improving the prognosis of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and even increasing their complications. The goal here was to assess the impact of selective TA during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI), its safety and clinical benefits at 1-year follow-up. Methods: The TAPER registry (efficacy and safety of selective Thrombus Aspiration in Real clinical Practice) retrospectively included patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with pPCI. The clinical and procedural characteristics and the composite endpoint of cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization or stroke were evaluated after at 1-year follow-up. Results: 687 patients (76.9% males, 64 ± 12 years) were analyzed. The TA was performed in 40.3% of cases (in 89.9% as the initial strategy and in 10.1% as the bailout strategy) and it was successful in 93.8% of them. The most important predictor of TA use was a higher initial Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) thrombus grade (OR, 3.2; 95%CI, 2.5-3.9; P < .0001). TA achieved a significant improvement of TIMI-flow (2.4 points) and a significant reduction of the TIMI thrombus grade (2.6 points). At 1-year follow-up, no stroke was observed in the TA-group and the rate of the composite endpoint (cardiovascular mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, target lesion revascularization or stroke) was similar in both groups (TA-group 8% vs non-TA-group 5.7%; P = .24). Conclusions: Selective TA is frequently used in the current clinical practice with a high success rate and a low rate of associated complications. It significantly reduces thrombotic burden and improves coronary flow. At 1-year follow-up, a similar rate of adverse events was observed regardless of the use of TA.

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