Complete Revascularization in Patients Undergoing a Pharmacoinvasive Strategy for ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Insights From the COMPLETE Trial

Background: The COMPLETE trial (Complete Versus Culprit-Only Revascularization to Treat Multi-Vessel Disease After Early PCI for STEMI) demonstrated that staged nonculprit lesion percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduced major cardiovascular events in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease. It is unclear whether consistent benefit is observed in patients undergoing a pharmacoinvasive strategy compared with primary PCI. Methods: Following culprit lesion PCI, 4041 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel coronary artery disease were randomized to either routine nonculprit lesion PCI or culprit lesion only PCI. In a prespecified analysis, we determined the treatment effect in 303 patients undergoing a pharmacoinvasive strategy versus 3738 patients undergoing primary PCI on the first coprimary outcome of cardiovascular death or new myocardial infarction and the second coprimary outcome of cardiovascular death, new myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven revascularization. Results: The first coprimary was reduced with complete revascularization both in the patients undergoing a pharmacoinvasive strategy (2.1%/y versus 4.7%/y, hazard ratio, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.21-0.97]) and in patients undergoing primary PCI (2.7%/y versus 3.6%/y, hazard ratio, 0.77 [95% CI, 0.62-0.95]; interaction P=0.18). The second coprimary outcome was reduced with complete revascularization in patients undergoing a pharmacoinvasive strategy (2.3%/y versus 8.5%/y, hazard ratio, 0.28 [95% CI, 0.14-0.56]), and in patients undergoing primary PCI (3.2%/y versus 6.0%/y, hazard ratio, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.44-0.64], interaction P=0.07). Conclusions: Among patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease, complete revascularization with multivessel PCI consistently reduces major cardiovascular events in patients undergoing an initial pharmacoinvasive strategy as well as in those undergoing primary PCI.