The Occluded Artery Trial published in the NEJM in 2006 concluded that opening a totally blocked artery during an acute MI has no benefit. Yet this information is being ignored because cardiologists are still doing revascularization procedures more than 24 hours after an acute MI. Part of the problem is that insurance companies continue to reimburse for these unnecessary procedures.
Cardiologists are showing much more restraint when patients are not having symptoms of an acute heart attack or having unstable angina.
