Background: Improved outcomes of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES) have resulted in their expanded use for left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis.
Aim: We compared outcomes of patients undergoing PCI for unprotected LMCA stenosis and patients treated by coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
Method: Between January 2005 and January 2007, 6705 patients were studied with coronary angiography in northern Finland. All subjects treated with revascularization of LMCA stenosis (n = 287) were included and followed up for a mean of 12+6 months.
Results: From 287 patients, 238 underwent CABG, and 49 had PCI with DES. The incidence of 1-year mortality was 4% among the PCI-treated and 11% among CABG-treated patients (P = 0.136). After the first month, mortality among PCI-or CABG-treated patients did not differ statistically significantly (2% versus 7%, P = 0.133). The most significant independent predictor of mortality was reduced left ventricular systolic function (hazard ratio 14.9, 95% CI 5.5-40.0, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: PCI with DES for selected LMCA disease patients results in short- and midterm outcomes comparable to results of CABG in general. PCI is a viable therapeutic option in selected patients with LMCA stenosis.