Results of randomized trials that have compared mechanical coronary artery recanalization versus medical therapy for total occlusion late after myocardial infarction (MI) have been conflicting.

We performed a meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with medical therapy in stable patients with an occluded artery 1 to 45 days after MI. Six trials and one substudy were included with data on 2617 patients for the clinical outcomes and 653 patients for determination of ejection fraction (EF) during follow-up. Outcomes included death, MI, death or MI, congestive heart failure (CHF), and change in left ventricular EF.

There were no statistically significant differences for any clinical outcome, with trends for an increase in MI (risk ratio 1.26, P = .19) and decrease in CHF (risk ratio 0.67, P = .19) in the PCI arm. The PCI arm showed a slight superiority in left ventricular EF (2%, 95% CI 0.1%-2.8%). Early smaller studies showed formally statistically significant benefits for CHF and EF, but the much larger Occluded Artery Trial and Total Occlusion Study of Canada 2 found no benefit. For CHF, the difference between early smaller studies and Occluded Artery Trial was beyond chance (P = .02).

Percutaneous coronary intervention does not seem to confer any benefits when used for late revascularization of occluded arteries after MI in stable patients.