Objective: We aimed to determine the incidence and predictors of side-branch compromise (SBC) in patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Background: Little data exist on SBC in AMI patients, especially in the drug-eluting stent era.
Methods: We recruited 174 patients who underwent primary PCI over a 12-month period. After reviewing their coronary angiograms, we included for analysis 102 patients with a side branch >2 mm arising from the culprit lesion and that was spanned by a coronary stent. SBC was defined as post-stent implantation TIMI flow of <3 in the side branch.
Results: Among the 102 patients analyzed, drug-eluting stents (n = 77), bare-metal stents (n = 17), and bioresorbable vascular scaffolds (n = 8) were used to treat the culprit lesions. Final TIMI flow of the main vessel was 2 or 3 in 101 patients (99%). SBC occurred in 23 patients (final side branch TIMI flow 0, n = 6; TIMI 1, n = 4; TIMI 2, n = 13), giving an incidence of 22.5%. Multivariate analysis showed non-left anterior descending (LAD) culprit vessel (odds ratio [OR], 3.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22-10.95; P=.02), higher peak creatine kinase level (OR, 1.03 for every 100-unit increase; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05; P=.01), and Rentrop score of 2/3 (OR, 3.57; 95% CI, 0.98-13.04; P=.055) to be independent predictors of SBC.
Conclusions: The incidence of SBC was 22.5%. The independent predictors of SBC were non-LAD culprit vessel, larger infarct size, and good collateral vessel formation.