Noninfarct related artery embolic protection during primary PCI.

A 66-year old man presented with antero-lateral STEMI. An ulcerated plaque and thrombus were seen in the proximal LAD. We were unable to pass a thrombectomy catheter down the LAD. To avoid embolisation of debris a Spider FX distal protection device was placed into the circumflex artery. Following stent implantation the patient developed chest pain with inferolateral ST depression. Thrombus was extracted from the circumflex artery within the distal protection device. Noninfract related artery distal protection during primary PCI may be an appropriate safeguard where thrombectomy is not possible in an infarct-related left coronary branch.