CATRx and Penumbra System Used After Conventional Clot Removal Fails
Doctors at KIMS Saveera Hospital, Anantapur, successfully treated a 60-year-old woman who suffered a severe heart attack caused by an extensive blood clot blocking the right coronary artery (RCA).
Annapurna from Guntakal was diagnosed with an inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI). An emergency coronary angiogram also revealed coronary artery ectasia, in which the coronary arteries become abnormally enlarged. The enlarged artery and extensive clot made the procedure particularly challenging.
Advanced Thrombectomy Restores Blood Flow
The medical team initially attempted balloon angioplasty and repeated clot aspiration. However, these methods failed to restore adequate blood flow. The doctors then used the CATRx catheter with the Penumbra aspiration thrombectomy system to remove the extensive clot.
Following successful clot extraction, the team performed balloon angioplasty and placed two coronary stents. A subsequent angiogram confirmed TIMI grade 3 flow, indicating normal blood flow, with no significant procedural complications.
As per the hospital press release, Dr. Spandana Komma, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at KIMS Saveera Hospital, said that advanced mechanical thrombectomy can be particularly useful in selected heart attack cases involving a large clot burden when conventional techniques fail to restore adequate blood flow.
Patient Recovers
The patient’s condition stabilised following the procedure. She recovered without major treatment-related complications and was discharged in a stable condition after satisfactory clinical improvement.
Dr. Spandana added that mechanical thrombectomy is not required for every heart attack patient, but can offer an important treatment option in selected cases with extensive clot formation.