Percutaneous coronary intervention without onsite surgical backup.

Although accepted in several countries abroad, the performance of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) without onsite surgical backup is controversial in the United States. Current guidelines from the United States do not endorse elective PCI in facilities without onsite surgical backup but acknowledge that primary PCI for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is acceptable under carefully regulated and monitored circumstances. This differs from guidelines developed by organizations in other countries. In the United States, data indicate that primary alone or primary and elective PCI without onsite surgery is currently being performed in all but seven states, and the number of patients treated in this setting is increasing. More than 40 articles reporting the outcomes and safety of PCI without onsite surgical backup have been published, but these are from a limited number of centers and are retrospective reviews or prospective registries, which have inherent limitations. Additional studies are currently under way to evaluate PCI's safety and effectiveness in this setting.