Myocardial revascularization in patients with left main coronary disease.

Overview

While coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has been the standard of care for patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease, advances in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have made stent placement a reasonable alternative in selected patients. In this review, we address the results of studies comparing PCI with CABG, discuss the invasive evaluation of these patients, and the technical approach to percutaneous revascularization. Furthermore, we discuss future pivotal trials, which will help define long-term outcomes comparing PCI with surgery.