Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (Primary PCI)

If the patient has been able to quickly reach a center with an angio device, the Gold Standard is always Primary PCI (physically opening the vessel immediately with angio). Clot-busting (thrombolytic) drugs given intravenously carry a risk of brain hemorrhage, and their success in opening the vessel is lower compared to a stent. A stent permanently opens the blockage at a rate of 99%.

The patient is instantly taken from the emergency room to the angio table. Mostly, the radial artery in the wrist is entered, and the clot is passed through with a wire. Sometimes, the clot is pulled out with a special vacuum (thrombectomy), and blood flow is restored to normal within seconds by placing a drug-eluting stent in that area.

The extent of the damage depends entirely on how "quickly" the patient reaches the hospital after having the attack. If the vessel is opened within the first 1-2 hours (early), there may be no permanent damage to the heart muscle. However, in blockages exceeding 12 hours, cells will die, so permanent scarring (cicatrix) and heart failure develop in the heart. Time is muscle.