Background: Stenting of large lipid core plaques (LCPs), as assessed by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), has been associated with periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), possibly due to distal embolization.
Methods: An embolic protection device (EPD) was inserted before stenting in nine native coronary arteries with large LCP, as assessed by NIRS. Embolized material was assessed by histopathology.
Results: Mean age was 64 ± 7 years and all patients were men. The target lesion was located in the right (67%) or left anterior descending (33%) coronary artery. A filter was utilized in eight patients (89%) and proximal embolic protection in one (11%). In one patient two filters were required because the originally placed filter became obstructed with debris after initial stent placement. The mean percent angiographic stenosis prestenting and poststenting was 87% ± 9% and 2% ± 4%, respectively and final TIMI 3 flow was achieved in all patients. Embolized material was retrieved in eight of nine patients (89%) and consisted mainly of platelet and fibrin thrombi. The mean target segment lipid core burden index decreased from 395 ± 114 before stenting to 152 ± 106 after stenting (P < 0.001) and the lesion angular extent decreased from 312° ± 70° to 240° ± 90° (P = 0.07). Postprocedural MI occurred in two of nine patients (22%), in one of whom two filters were required.
Conclusion: Use of EPDs frequently resulted in embolized material retrieval after stenting of native coronary artery lesions with large LCPs. These findings support further study of EPDs as a means to prevent poststenting MI.
Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.