Distal Embolization during Native Vessel and Vein Graft Coronary Intervention with a Vascular Protection Device: Predictors of High‐Risk Lesions

Objective: We sought to define clinical and angiographic variables that may predict patients and lesions at increased risk for distal embolism during percutaneous intervention (PCI), as assessed by debris retrieval from a distal‐protection filter device. Background: Distal thrombo‐ and atheroembolism may contribute to periprocedural myocardial necrosis during PCI, which may in turn affect long‐term outcomes. Distal protection devices have been used to reduce this occurrence with variable outcomes depending on lesion and patient subsets. Methods: 194 consecutive patients in whom the FilterWire® device (FW) [Boston Scientific Corp., Natick, MA] was used for native coronary vessel (n =129) or vein graft (n = 65) PCI were studied. FW debris was visually analyzed using a semi‐quantitative grading score. Patients with “significant” debris (particles ≥ 1 mm diameter) were compared with those with “nonsignificant” debris (no debris or particles <1 mm) with respect to clinical (age, gender, coronary disease risk factors, clinical presentation, periprocedural medications), and angiographic (vessel treated, vessel size, lesion length, lesion characteristics, angiographic thrombus and TIMI flow before and after PCI) variables. Results: Significant debris was retrieved in 55% of patients, more frequently from vein graft (69%) than native vessel lesions (48%, p = 0.006). No clinical characteristics predicted significant debris retrieval. Angiographic predictors of significant debris by multivariate analysis were longer stent length and final TIMI flow <3 (p = 0.009 and 0.007, respectively). Conclusion: Longer stent length, likely reflecting increased lesion length and plaque burden, predicted significant distal embolism during PCI in native vessel and vein graft lesions, as assessed by debris collected in a distal vascular protection device. This suggests that use of vascular protection devices should be considered during PCI of long lesions.