Operator volume and outcomes of primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction in a single high-volume centre.

Objective: The guidelines for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) state the minimum operator volume for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs), without strong evidence of a relationship between operator volume and outcomes of primary angioplasty, at variance with elective practice. We sought to investigate the effect of operator volume on primary PCI for STEMI.

Methods: Three hundred and thirty-one consecutive STEMI patients were treated over 19 months with primary PCI in a high-volume centre without on-site cardiac surgery.