INNOVATIVE MECHANICAL THROMBECTOMY WITH A NEW DEVICE SAVES THE PATIENT’S LIFE

CHANDIGARH, 29.06.24-Patients who experience acute myocardial infarction may have a high thrombus burden that can be life-threatening and lead to suboptimal outcomes despite traditional coronary angioplasty and stenting. In response to this challenge, extensive research has been conducted to develop new devices specifically designed to treat patients with such a high thrombus burden after acute myocardial infarction. Recently, a mechanical thrombus aspiration system (Penumbra CAT Rx) was introduced in India for mechanical (machine) aspiration of thrombus in such patients.

In the first case in the PGIMER study, a team of physicians from the Advanced Cardiac Centre (ACC) led by Dr. Himanshu Gupta, Associate Professor, used this mechanical device to aspire a clot in a 60-year-old man who presented with an acute anterior wall MI and had 100% thrombotic occlusion of the LAD. This condition posed significant challenges because the large clot burden in this location can migrate to a nearby artery, which can be life-threatening. Recognizing this problem, the ACC team used the new Penumbra CAT Rx catheter and performed clot aspiration in two bursts of 30 seconds each, effectively removing the clot and restoring vascular flow. After clot aspiration, IVUS-guided stenting was successfully performed at the LAD ostium with good results and no thrombus migration or flow disturbances were observed in the vessel.

Dr. Gupta explained that previously we only had hand-held clot suction devices, which were not very effective, but this new device is much more effective and efficient in removing large and evenly organized clots from vessels. Dr. Himanshu expressed his deep satisfaction with the outcome of the procedure, stating: “The successful use of the Penumbra CAT Rx System in this case represents a significant advance in our approach to treating severe arterial occlusions in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The precision and effectiveness of this technology are truly extraordinary. This device will be very useful in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction, especially in peripheral hospitals that deal with acute emergencies of such patients.