Impact of bifurcation target lesion on angiographic, electrocardiographic, and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (from the Harmonizing Outcomes With Revascularization and Stents in Acute Myocardial Infarction [HORIZONS-AMI] trial)

Aims: Using the database from the large-scale, prospective, randomised HORIZONS-AMI trial, the authors sought to assess the impact of bifurcation target lesions (BTL) on angiographic, electrocardiographic, and clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods and results: In HORIZONS-AMI, bifurcation lesions in which a provisional approach was planned were eligible for enrolment. By angiographic core laboratory assessment of 3,306 patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI, 333 patients (10%) had >= 1 BTL, and 2,973 patients had no BTL. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the groups, except for lower left ventricular ejection fraction and more frequent left anterior descending infarct artery in the BTL group. BTLs required longer procedural and fluoroscopy times and higher contrast loads, but rates of TIMI 3 flow post PCI were similar in both groups (with vs. without BTL 99% vs. 87%, p=0.25). ST-segment resolution >= 70% by core laboratory analysis was similar in both groups (48% vs. 50%, p=0.47). Importantly, there was no difference between groups in the rate of death (6.1% vs. 6.7%, p=0.72), definite or probable stent thrombosis (4.2% vs. 5.2%, p=0.42), and ischaemic target vessel revascularisation (14.3% vs. 14.0%, p=0.86) during three-year follow-up. Conclusions: Although the PCI procedure involving BTL was more complex, the acute results and late outcomes in patients with BTLs were comparable to those in patients without BTLs.