ANANTAPUR, October 5, 2026: Doctors at KIMS Saveera Hospital, Anantapur, successfully treated a 60-year-old woman who suffered a severe heart attack caused by a massive blood clot completely blocking a major coronary artery. The medical team used an advanced mechanical thrombectomy technique involving the CATRx catheter and Penumbra aspiration thrombectomy system after conventional clot-removal methods failed to restore adequate blood flow.

The patient, R. Annapurna, a resident of Guntakal in Anantapur district, presented to the hospital with symptoms of an acute heart attack. An electrocardiogram (ECG) and other investigations confirmed an inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI), indicating a heart attack affecting the lower portion of the heart.

An emergency coronary angiogram revealed that the patient's coronary arteries were abnormally enlarged, a condition known as coronary artery ectasia. The right coronary artery (RCA), a major blood vessel supplying the heart, was completely blocked by an extensive blood clot. The combination of an unusually enlarged artery and a large clot made the procedure particularly challenging.

The treating team initially attempted to restore blood flow through balloon angioplasty and repeated clot aspiration. However, these conventional techniques did not achieve adequate restoration of blood circulation, necessitating the use of an advanced mechanical thrombectomy approach.

The doctors connected the CATRx catheter to the Penumbra aspiration thrombectomy system and performed repeated aspiration to remove the extensive clot obstructing the artery. This enabled effective clot removal and significantly improved blood flow. Following clot extraction, balloon angioplasty was performed, and two coronary stents were deployed in the affected segment to restore and maintain blood flow.

A subsequent angiogram confirmed successful restoration of blood circulation, achieving TIMI grade 3 flow, which indicates normal blood flow through the treated coronary artery. The stents were adequately expanded, and no significant procedural complications were observed.

Explaining the procedure, Dr. Spandana Komma, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at KIMS Saveera Hospital, said, “Treating patients with abnormally enlarged coronary arteries and extensive blood clots can be particularly challenging during an acute heart attack. In this case, conventional clot-removal techniques did not restore adequate blood flow. Using the CATRx–Penumbra system, we successfully removed the large clot and subsequently placed coronary stents, restoring blood circulation to the affected area.”

Following the procedure, the patient's condition stabilised, and she recovered without any major treatment-related complications. She was discharged from the hospital in a stable condition after satisfactory clinical improvement.

Coronary artery ectasia is a condition in which the coronary arteries become abnormally enlarged. Blood flow through these vessels may become sluggish, increasing the risk of clot formation. When extensive clots develop, conventional aspiration techniques may not always be sufficient to restore adequate circulation, making treatment more complex.

Dr. Spandana emphasised that mechanical thrombectomy is not required for every heart attack patient. However, in selected cases involving a large clot burden, particularly when conventional techniques fail to restore adequate blood flow, advanced mechanical thrombectomy systems may offer an important treatment option.