The Canadian journal of cardiology
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The objective of our study was to assess whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) guidance could guide intervention to avoid balloon angioplasty and stenting during primary percutaneous coronary intervention. ⋯ The results of our pilot study suggest that ST segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with TIMI 2/3 flow in the angiogram and without significant coronary narrowing using OCT examination (even in the presence of angiographically detected "high-grade stenosis"), in whom thrombus aspiration is performed in addition to optimal medical therapy might benefit only from thrombus aspiration without plain old balloon angioplasty/stenting during primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Validation of these preliminary data in larger randomized studies is warranted.