Management of left main disease: an update

A severe narrowing of the left main coronary artery (LMCA), usually due to atherosclerosis, jeopardizes a large area of myocardium and increases the risk of major adverse cardiac events. Management strategies for LMCA disease include coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In general, PCI offers more rapid recovery and a lower early adverse event rate, whereas CABG offers a more durable procedure. The largest of six LMCA trials comparing PCI with CABG recently reported that in patients with site-reported low or intermediate anatomical complexity PCI was non-inferior to CABG with respect to the composite of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction at 3 years. This result was obtained on a background of contemporary PCI standards, including safer and more effective stents, intravascular imaging and physiology assessment. This review updates on the current management of LMCA disease, with an emphasis on clinical data and procedural knowledge supporting the use of PCI in a growing proportion of patients.