Introduction

The acute coronary occlusion associated with a high valuation of morbimortalidad in the acute infarction of the myocardium with elevation of the ST segment (STEMI), represents a challenge for the interventionist, due the unknown amount of thrombus load and its characteristics beyond the occlusion (microvascular obstruction (MVO), distal stenosis), which leads to complicate the primary angioplasty (PTCA) and to the no reflow phenomenon (NFP), which has an overall incidence reported from 20 to 40%.

Objectives

To evaluate the efficacy of the distal coronary angiography with microcatheter, that leads to an individualized therapeutic strategy, with the purpose of prevent the NFP in the accute coronary occlusion in STEMI treated with PTCA.

Material and methods

70 patients were included with STEMI. We performed coronary angiography with microcatheter distal to the obstruction, and the therapeutic strategy was chosen in accordance with findings: stenosis, thrombus amount or MVO. After the PTCA were performed, we evaluated the NFP incidence.

Results

Report of 70 patients, the majority men (80%), class Killip Kimbal I (95 %), with disease of the right coronary artery in 57%, and anterior descending coronary artery in 37%. Distal thrombus was present in 47% of the studied patients. An obstruction length of more than 30 mm was observed in 21% of the cases, also we observed dissection of the arteries in a 21%, MVO was presented in 41%, and distal stenosis in 25%. Used therapeutic strategies: It was applied medicated stent in 81% of the patients, long balloon in 93%, and thrombolytic therapy in 30%. We observed a NFP incidence of 18.6 %.

Conclusions

The diagnostic and therapeutic approach for STEMI that this study recommends, diminishes the NFP in comparison with reported. An obstruction > 30 mm is an independent factor for NFP, therefore in these cases we recommend use the described diagnostic approach and long balloon.

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