Possis analysis suggests safety benefit of thrombus removal prior to placement of drug eluting stents

By Lisa Kerner

Erie, Pa., May 18 - Possis Medical, Inc. said new clinical analysis suggests that when large blood clots (thrombus) are removed from coronary arteries using AngioJet thrombectomy prior to placement of drug eluting stents, patient outcomes are improved.

Interventional cardiologist Georgios Sianos presented the findings at EuroPCR in Paris, according to a company news release.

The presentation described a retrospective analysis of 900 patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or heart attack. All received immediate treatment with primary angioplasty and drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation, including the 30% with large thrombus.

Possis said the patients with large thrombus had a higher frequency of subsequent serious cardiac complications up to two years after treatment, further confirming that large thrombus is a serious risk factor for heart attack victims.

Also within the large thrombus patient group, 8.2% of those who were stented without first removing the thrombus experienced in-stent thrombosis (thrombotic blockage inside the stent) up to two years following treatment, the company said.

"With two years of follow-up, the patients with large thrombus who were treated with rheolytic thrombectomy therapy prior to stenting had no occurrence of in-stent thrombosis," Sianos added.

"Thrombus removal is highly advised in patients with AMI and large thrombus burden before DES implantation."

Minneapolis-based Possis develops medical devices for the endovascular treatment market.

© 2015 Prospect News.
All content on this website is protected by copyright law in the U.S. and elsewhere. For the use of the person downloading only.
Redistribution and copying are prohibited by law without written permission in advance from Prospect News.
Redistribution or copying includes e-mailing, printing multiple copies or any other form of reproduction.