We are very pleased to announce that Dr. Michel Le May has been selected to receive the 2017 Dr. Robert Roberts Award for Research Excellence.
Dr. Le May received this prize for a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology - Cardiovascular Interventions. The study looked at the safety and efficacy of a pharmacoinvasive strategy, compared with a primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy for heart attacks known as STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction). Primary PCI is considered the first choice reperfusion therapy following a heart attack; in rural areas where PCI centres are not readily available, a pharmacoinvasive strategy is frequently used.
The study compared outcomes in patients who received pharmacoinvasive therapy versus PCI. It was found that the efficacy of a pharmacoinvasive strategy, in terms of mortality, recurring event, or stroke, is similar to that of a primary PCI strategy; however, the study observed that there was a tendency for more bleeding with a pharmacoinvasive strategy.
Based on these results, Dr. Le May and his team concluded that primary PCI remains the optimal reperfusion therapy when administered within a reasonable time. The study demonstrates that the use of a regional STEMI program (such as that at UOHI) that employs both reperfusion therapies, primary PCI and pharmacoinvasive, based on geographical proximity to the PCI center, is safe and effective. These results are encouraging for centres that do not have rapid access to PCI.