Effect of percutaneous thrombectomy on echocardiographic measures of myocardial microcirculation in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: To study the efficacy of percutaneous thrombectomy (PT) in improving myocardial microcirculation in elderly acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients. METHODS: A total of 104 patients (> or = 65 years) with AMI and coronary thrombus shown by angiography were randomly divided into a group of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (n=52) and a group of PCI plus PT (n=52). At 24 h and 1 week after PCI, real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography was performed by contrast pulse sequencing technology. Contrast score index, contrast defect length/left ventricle length [CDL/LVL (%)], wall motion score index and wall motion abnormal length/LVL (%) were calculated. RESULTS: At each time point, in patients treated with PCI plus PT, contrast score index, CDL/LVL (%), wall motion score index and wall motion abnormal length/LVL (%) were significantly lower than that in the PCI group. CONCLUSION: Thrombectomy reduces the noreflow and the extent of microvascular obstruction, thus it was a feasible therapy in elderly patients with AMI.