The American journal of cardiology
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The intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) and percutaneous ventricular assist devices (pVAD) are commonly used in different clinical scenarios. The goal of this study was to carry out a meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis (TSA) comparing the IABP versus pVAD (TandemHeart and the Impella) during high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or cardiogenic shock (CS). Using PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and EMBASE we searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and nonrandomized studies that compared pVAD versus IABP in patients who underwent high-risk PCI or with CS. ⋯ In conclusion there were no differences in short or long-term mortality when using IABP versus pVAD for high-risk PCI or CS. IABP showed superiority over pVAD in terms of risk of harm. However, further RCTs are needed to establish more conclusively the role of these modalities of mechanical circulatory support during high-risk PCI or CS.