Coronary Thrombo‐Aspiration

Persistence of a thrombus after coronary angioplasty can be treated by transcatheter aspiration. This technique has been used in the right coronary artery of three patients. Coronary arteriography showed the occlusion of the proximal segment in two patients and a stenosis in one. In the two patients with an occlusion, there was no residual stenosis after balloon angioplasty, but a long thrombus remained: in the third patient, the thrombosis of the mid-segment of the right coronary artery was secondary to a spasm of the proximal and mid-segments. In all patients, the guiding catheter was gently advanced up to the thrombus that was aspirated with a syringe. The immediate result was excellent, and the control angiogram performed after a delay of 1 to 15 months showed the patency of the artery and the absence of residual stenosis.