During primary percutaneous coronary intervention, distal embolization of thrombus and impaired microvascular perfusion has been associated with an increased mortality. Thrombectomy devices during primary percutaneous coronary intervention may prevent distal embolization by reducing thrombus burden and thus improve microvascular perfusion and reduce mortality.

An individual patient meta-analysis of large randomized controlled trials comparing manual thrombectomy versus percutaneous coronary intervention alone in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction will provide significantly more power to detect differences in mortality as well as important but rare events such as stroke and to assess benefits in pre-defined subgroups.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Randomized controlled trials comparing manual thrombectomy vs. percutaneous coronary intervention alone in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction published between January 1980 and April 2015.
• Large trials randomizing more than 1000 patients.
• Trials must have had at least 30 day follow up.

Exclusion Criteria:

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Patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction undergoing emergency percutaneous coronary intervention