title: Excimer laser thrombus elimination for prevention of distal embolization and no-reflow in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction: results from the randomized LaserAMI study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Results for standard revascularization therapies in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have been limited in part by distal embolization, a process which might be reduced by the application of ultraviolet laser light. The aim was to assess feasibility and safety of excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) in a randomized study in AMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven consecutive patients with ST-segment elevation AMI (aged 57.8+/-9.2 years) were randomized either to balloon angioplasty and stent implantation alone (n=13) or adjunct ELCA (n=14). Quantitative coronary angiography was analyzed by an independent core laboratory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ELCA was feasible and safe in all cases. No procedure-associated complications were observed. Similar results were found for main parameters in laser (L) and control (C) patients: diameter stenosis decreased from 94.3+/-9.6 to 20.7+/-10.3% (L) and from 82.7+/-16.8 to 18.9+/-5.5% (C) (p=ns; L vs. C). TIMI flow increased from 0.7+/-1.2 to 2.8+/-0.4 and from 1.7+/-1.5 to 3.0+/-0 (p=ns; L vs. C), respectively. The post-procedural myocardial blush score did not differ between the groups (2.1+/-1.3 and 2.7+/-1.0; p=ns; L vs. C) and the final corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC) was also similar in both groups (23+/-7 and 22+/-4; p=ns; L vs. C), but the cTFC gain was higher in the laser group (53+/-14% and 35+/-20%; p<0.05; L vs. C).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laser angioplasty is feasible and safe for the treatment of patients with ST elevation AMI. Procedural results were at least on par with conventional treatment. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to assess the benefit of laser angioplasty in AMI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine B, Cardiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Friedrich-Loeffler-Str. 23 a, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany. mdoerr@uni-greifswald.de
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dörr
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vogelgesang
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staudt
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Stephan B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Felix
authors.forename: Johannes B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Dahm
mesh_terms: D017222:Angioplasty, Balloon, Laser-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome