Prophylactic Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump is Useful to Facilitate Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Images from Rescue Cases

Images are presented of coronary reperfusion that occurred shortly after insertion of an intra-aortic balloon pump for counter-pulsation in 3 patients with acute myocardial infarction refractory to thrombolytic therapy and hemodynamic derangement. It is shown that prophylactic intra-aortic balloon pump use may facilitate percutaneous coronary intervention during acute myocardial infarction and it is useful to provide a visual assessment of myocardial flow restoring.