Off-site primary percutaneous coronary intervention in a new centre is safe: comparing clinical outcomes with a hospital with surgical backup.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the procedural and clinical outcomes of a new primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) centre without surgical back-up (off-site PCI) and to investigate whether these results are comparable with a high volume on-site PCI centre in the Netherlands.


BACKGROUND
Controversy remains about the safety and efficacy of PPCI in off-site PCI centres.


METHODS
We retrospectively analysed clinical and procedural data as well as 6‑month follow-up of 226 patients diagnosed with ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent PPCI at VieCuri Medical Centre Venlo and 115 STEMI patients who underwent PPCI at Catharina Hospital Eindhoven.


RESULTS
PPCI patients in VieCuri Medical Centre had similar procedural and clinical outcomes to those in Catharina Hospital. Overall there were no significant differences. The occurrence of procedural complications was low in both groups (8.4 % VieCuri vs. 12.3 % Catharina Hospital). In the VieCuri group there was one procedural-related death. No patients in either group needed emergency surgery. At 30 days, 17 (7.9 %) patients in the VieCuri group and 9 (8.1 %) in the Catharina Hospital group had a major adverse cardiac event.


CONCLUSIONS
Performing PPCI in an off-site PCI centre is safe and effective. The study results show that the procedural and clinical outcomes of an off-site PPCI centre are comparable with an on-site high-volume PPCI centre.
Department of Cardiology, VieCuri Medical Centre, Venlo, The Netherlands. kim.koolen@student.maastrichtuniversity.nl.
K H A J
KH
Koolen
Department of Cardiology, VieCuri Medical Centre, Venlo, The Netherlands.
K A
KA
Mol
Department of Cardiology, VieCuri Medical Centre, Venlo, The Netherlands.
B M
BM
Rahel
Department of Cardiology, VieCuri Medical Centre, Venlo, The Netherlands.
F
F
Eerens
Department of Cardiology, VieCuri Medical Centre, Venlo, The Netherlands.
S
S
Aydin
Department of Cardiology, VieCuri Medical Centre, Venlo, The Netherlands.
R P T
RP
Troquay
Department of Cardiology, VieCuri Medical Centre, Venlo, The Netherlands.
L
L
Janssen
Department of Cardiology, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
W A L
WA
Tonino
Department of Cardiology, VieCuri Medical Centre, Venlo, The Netherlands.
J G
JG
Meeder
Coronary disease; Off-site; Outcomes; Percutaneous coronary intervention; Primary