Cardiologists reflect on developing primary PCI in face of criticism and pushback

SCAI celebrated William W. O'Neill, MD, and Cindy L. Grines, MD, two veteran interventional cardiologists who played key roles guiding the development of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as a treatment for ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients.

William W. O'Neill, MD (top left), and Cindy L. Grines, MD (bottom), speak with Timothy D. Henry, MD (top right), about the development of primary PCI. The discussion was part of SCAI's “Pioneers of Interventional Cardiology” series. Image courtesy of SCAI. 

SCAI celebrated cardiologists William W. O'Neill, MD, and Cindy L. Grines, MD, for the important roles they played in the development of primary PCI. “It was challenging,” Grines explained. “We had the pharmaceutical industry that was anti-primary angioplasty and we had a lot of our own colleagues that were anti-primary angioplasty."