Revascularization for unprotected left main stem coronary artery stenosis stenting or surgery

For coronary artery disease with unprotected left main stem (LMS) stenosis, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is traditionally regarded as the "standard of care" because of its well-documented and durable survival advantage. There is now an increasing trend to use drug-eluting stents for LMS stenosis rather than CABG despite very little high-quality data to inform clinical practice. We herein: 1) evaluate the current evidence in support of the use of percutaneous revascularization for unprotected LMS; 2) assess the underlying justification for randomized controlled trials of stenting versus surgery for unprotected LMS; and 3) examine the optimum approach to informed consent. We conclude that CABG should indeed remain the preferred revascularization treatment in good surgical candidates with unprotected LMS stenosis.     

Stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis

Unprotected left main stenosis greater than 50% has traditionally been managed with coronary artery bypass surgery. There is now emerging evidence to support a percutaneous strategy adopting drug-eluting stents, especially in patients at high risk for surgery. This paper will review recent outcomes of both bare-metal and drug-eluting stent use for unprotected left main stenosis and summarise results of an Australian registry. Results of studies comparing the percutaneous approach to surgery will also be reviewed together with ESC and AHA/ACC current guidelines. Although percutaneous intervention of unprotected left main has been shown to be a safe and feasible procedure, unanswered questions remain. Large multi-centre randomised trials underway comparing percutaneous to surgical intervention will help clarify these ongoing issues.     

选择性左冠状动脉主干病变的介入治疗

目的冠状动脉旁路移植术(CABG)是多支血管病变血运重建的最佳方法,是无保护性左冠状动脉主干(LMCA)病变的标准治疗.本研究探讨无保护性LMCA病变介入治疗的疗效和可行性.方法总结分析1996年10月～2000年8月间20例住院的冠心病左主干病变患者接受直接支架术治疗.入选患者例行左室造影(LVEF>45%),冠状动脉血管成形术及其疗效评判采用常规标准,合并右冠脉严重弥漫狭窄病变或前降支(LAD)与回旋支(LCX)同时严重狭窄者不行该术.结果 20例中男17例、女3例,年龄42～71(平均64±12)岁,临床呈心绞痛Ⅱ-Ⅲ级,其中合并高血压9例、糖尿病(2型)1例.冠脉造影显示,左冠脉主干病变呈单纯狭窄者8例,其中近中段狭窄(50%～80%)者6例、开口狭窄(50%～60%)者2例,左主干夹层分离者2例,动脉瘤者1例,合并LAD或LCX病变(狭均>70%)者9例(狭窄50%～70%).全部患者左主干病变均进行直接支架术,其中6例伴LAD或LCX病变者先行PTCA或支架术后再进行左主干病变的支架置入术.置入左主干内的支架均为管状宽径短支架,16例为4.0 mm×9 mm(直径×长度)支架,3例为3.5 mm×9 mm支架,1例冠状动脉瘤者应用4.5 mm×9mm支架.左主干支架术成功率为100%,无残余狭窄或残余狭窄<10%,无任何并发症如支架血栓形成、急性心肌梗死、紧急CABG及死亡等.9例合并LAD(6例)或LCX(3例)狭窄者,先行LAD或LCX的PTCA术,其中3例PTCA术后残余狭窄<20%,5例残余狭窄30%～40%者中2例置入3.0×16mm支架、1例3.5×20mm支架、1例3.0×14 mm支架,1例LCX开口后狭窄(75%)者因PTCA后发生夹层放置3.5×12 mm支架,造影示夹层消失,无残余狭窄.冠状动脉瘤行带膜支架术者造影示瘤体消失,左主干管壁平整.随访1～4年,14例心绞痛发作消失、6例心绞痛复发但显著减轻(心绞痛Ⅰ级),后者有4例于术后半年～1年内复查冠脉造影提示早期再狭窄,其中2例单纯LMCA再狭窄者再次行冠脉血管成形术、2例LMCA合并LAD再狭窄者行CABG手术,无急性心肌梗塞或死亡等严重心脏事件发生,患者均能维持正常生活.结论本研究结果表明,选择性无保护性左冠状动脉主干病变支架术在临床上切实可行、疗效显著,可以是继CABG的另一治疗选择.     

无保护左主干病变冠状动脉搭桥术与雷帕霉素洗脱支架治疗的对比研究

目的:回顾性分析无保护左主干病变患者使用雷帕霉素洗脱支架(DES)的经皮冠状动脉介入治疗(PCI)与冠状动脉旁路移植手术(CABG)治疗的中、远期疗效,并探讨应用SYNTAX SCORE来评估病变风险与临床事件的相关性。方法:本研究回顾性收集了176例无保护左主干病变患者,其中CABG组80例,PCI-DES组96例。收集患者的基本情况、左主干病变特点及SYNTAX评分、CABG和PCI手术情况,随访患者术后3年的主要不良心脑血管事件(MACCE)的发生率。结果:术后3年随访,PCI-DES组与CABG组的MACCE发生率及无MACCE生存率比较差异无统计学意义,但PCI组靶血管再次血运重建率(TVR)明显高于CABG组(P<0.05)。用SYNTAX SCORE把PCI-DES和CABG两组患者分为高积分组(≥30.0)和低积分组(<30.0):高积分组,术后3年PCI-DES亚组MACCE事件发生率高于CABG亚组(23.53%∶18.05%,P<0.05),无MACCE事件生存率低于CABG亚组(51.47%∶70.83%,P<0.05)。低积分组,术后3年MACCE事件发生率CABG亚组高于PCI-DES亚组(12.50%∶7.14%,P>0.05),而无MACCE事件生存率低于PCI-DES亚组(75.00%∶82.14%,P<0.05)。结论:PCI-DES与CABG治疗无保护左主干病变患者总体疗效相似。用SYNTAX SCORE指导无保护左主干病变血管重建方式的选择有重要价值,但在不同的患者人群中,仍应结合临床特征和冠状动脉病变特点选择恰当的血运重建术。     

Endovascular stenting of an unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis in a heart transplant patient

Endoluminal revascularization of left main coronary artery vessels is considered to be relatively contraindicated because of a high procedural mortality and restenosis rate. This report describes the first successful case of endovascular stenting in an unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis in a heart transplant patient.     

Percutaneous coronary intervention for unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis

Hemodynamically significant left main coronary artery stenosis (LMCA) is found in around 4% of diagnostic coronary angiograms and is known as unprotected LMCA stenosis if the left coronary artery and left circumflex artery has no previous patent grafts. Previous randomized studies have demonstrated a significant reduction in mortality when revascularization by coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery was undertaken compared with medical treatment. Therefore, current practice guidelines do not recommend percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for such a lesion because of the proven benefit of surgery and high rates of restenosis with the use of bare metal stents. However, with the advent of drug-eluting stents (DES), the long term outcomes of PCI with DES to treat unprotected LMCA stenoses have been acceptable. Therefore, apart from the current guidelines, PCI for treatment of unprotected LMCA stenosis is often undertaken in individuals who are at a very high risk of CABG or refuse to undergo a sternotomy. Future randomized studies comparing CABG vs PCI using DES for treatment of unprotected LMCA stenosis would be a great advance in clinical knowledge for the adoption of appropriate treatment.     

Successful stenting of catheter-induced unprotected left main coronary artery dissection

Catheter-induced left main coronary artery (LMCA) dissection is a dramatic, although uncommon complication of diagnostic coronary angiography and requires prompt treatment. We describe a case of iatrogenic occlusive dissection of the LMCA during coronary angiography, treated by subsequent percutaneous recanalisation.     

Management of failed stenting of the unprotected left main coronary artery

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is increasingly accepted as treatment for unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease especially in those patients who are unsuitable for cardiac surgery. Treatment of any stent failure is associated with increased complexity and worse clinical outcomes when compared with de novo lesion revascularization. Intracoronary imaging has provided new insight into mechanisms of stent failure and treatment options have developed considerably over the last decade. There is paucity of evidence on the management strategy for stent failure in the specific setting of ULMCA. Treating any left main with PCI requires careful consideration and consequently treatment of failed stents in ULMCA is complex and provides unique challenges. Consequently, we provide an overview of ULMCA stent failure, proposing a tailored algorithm to guide best management and decision in daily clinical practice, with a special focus on intracoronary imaging characterization of causal mechanisms and specific technical and procedural considerations.     

Emergency coronary stenting of unprotected critical left main coronary artery stenosis in acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock

In the setting of acute myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiogenic shock in patients with significant unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) disease, treatment options are limited. In this report of a patient presenting in cardiogenic shock secondary to acute MI with critical LMCA stenosis, percutaneous coronary intervention with intra-aortic balloon pump support proved life saving.     

Simultaneous triple kissing stenting in an unprotected left main coronary artery

A 76-year-old hypertensive male smoker with diabetes mellitusand a family history of coronary artery disease was urgentlyreferred to the cardiac catheterization     

Elective stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis: effect of debulking before stenting and intravascular ultrasound guidance

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate: 1) the long-term outcomes of 127 selected patients receiving unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenting; and 2) the impact of the debulking procedure before stenting and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance on their clinical outcomes. BACKGROUND: The long-term safety of stenting of unprotected LMCA stenoses has not been established yet. METHODS: A total of 127 consecutive patients with unprotected LMCA stenosis and normal left ventricular function were treated by elective stenting. The long-term outcomes were evaluated between two groups: IVUS guidance (n = 77) vs. angiographic guidance (n = 50); and debulking plus stenting (debulking/stenting; n = 40) vs. stenting only (n = 87). RESULTS: Angiographic restenosis was documented in 19 (19%) of 100 patients. The lumen diameter after stenting was significantly larger in IVUS-guided group (p = 0.003). The angiographic restenosis rate was significantly lower in the debulking/stenting group (8.3% vs. 25%, p = 0.034). The reference artery size was the only independent predictor of angiographic restenosis. During follow-up (25.5 +/- 16.7 months), there were four deaths, but no nonfatal myocardial infarctions occurred. The survival rate was 97.0 +/- 1.7% at two years. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that stenting of unprotected LMCA stenosis might be associated with a favorable long-term outcome in selected patients. Guidance with IVUS may optimize the immediate results, and debulking before stenting seems to be effective in reducing the restenosis rate. However, we need a large-scale, randomized study.     

Angioplasty and stenting of an unprotected left main bifurcation lesion

A case of unprotected bifurcation left main disease treated on two occasions by angioplasty and stenting is presented. This case demonstrates the two main features of salvage angioplasty, namely medically refractory rest angina and refused bypass surgery. In addition, it presents short inflation time angioplasty for sole or main conduits and treating the left main as a bifurcation lesion. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Diagn. 41:174–178, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Technical feasibility,safety, and clinical outcome of stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery bifurcation narrowing

This study was performed to evaluate the acute and long-term results of stenting for unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) bifurcation lesions. Sixty-three consecutive patients with an unprotected LMCA bifurcation lesion and normal left ventricular function were included. Stenting was performed with (n = 32) or without debulking atherectomy (n = 31) at the operator's discretion. Slotted-tube stents, coil stents, or bifurcation stents were used. The procedural success rate was 100%. In-hospital events including stent thrombosis, Q-wave myocardial infarction, and emergency bypass surgery did not occur in any patients. The angiographic follow-up rate was 86% (43 of the 50 eligible patients), and the restenosis rate was 28% (parent vessel only 14%, side branch only 9%, and both 5%). Restenosis at the parent vessel occurred less frequently in the debulking group than in the nondebulking group (5% vs 33%, respectively, p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, the debulking procedure was an independent predictive factor of restenosis for the parent vessel (odds ratio 0.10, 95% confidence intervals 0.01 to 0.91, p = 0.04). Clinical follow-up was obtained in all patients at 19.9 +/- 13.7 months. There were 2 deaths (noncardiac origin), but no myocardial infarction during follow-up. Target lesion revascularization was required in 6 patients. The event-free survival rate (death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization) was 86% at the end of the follow-up period. In conclusion, stenting for an unprotected LMCA bifurcation lesion may be performed with a high procedural success rate and a favorable clinical outcome in selected patients with normal left ventricular function, suggesting that stenting would be an effective alternative to surgery in these patients.     

Comparison between coronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis (the Bologna Registry)

Although great interest exists in the relative efficacy of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) versus percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis, data comparing the 2 strategies are scant. Furthermore, no comparison has ever been performed between CABG and drug-eluting stents in this setting. From January 2002 to June 2005, 154 patients with unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis underwent CABG and 157 underwent PCI. Ninety-four patients received a drug-eluting stent in the left main artery. After a median follow-up of 430 days, the rate of mortality, acute myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization was 12.3%, 4.5%, and 2.6%, respectively, in the CABG group and 13.4%, 8.3%, and 25.5%, respectively, in the PCI group (death and myocardial infarction p = NS, target lesion revascularization p = 0.0001). Although patients treated with drug-eluting stents had a 25% relative risk reduction in the rate of death, myocardial infarction, and target lesion revascularization compared with patients treated with bare stents, event-free survival was still better for patients treated with CABG. In the multivariate analysis, age >or=70 years, New York Heart Association classes III and IV, acute coronary syndromes, and peripheral vascular disease were the only independent predictors of mortality. In conclusion, our results have indicated that at long-term follow-up no difference exists in the rate of mortality and myocardial infarction between PCI and CABG for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis. However, the rate of target lesion revascularization was higher in the PCI group.     

Elective stenting of unprotected left main coronary disease

For the 12-mo period of 1995, we encountered seven consecutive patients with symptomatic unprotected left main coronary stenosis requiring revascularization. There were five males and two females, age ranging 48–76 years. One patient was referred to coronary bypass surgery. Of the remaining six patients, three refused surgery and the other three, including one with previous bypass surgery and two with previous interventional procedures, preferred percutaneous revascularization. All six had successful elective stenting of their left main coronary stenoses with the new short Palmaz-Schatz stents, P084 and PS104. There were no complications and all remained totally asymptomatic at 3–14 months followup. We conclude that with proper patient selection and the availability of appropriate stents, elective stenting of unprotected left main coronary stenosis is safe with good immediate and medium term results. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Percutaneous stenting of chronic total occlusion of unprotected left main coronary artery

Chronic total occlusion of the left main coronary artery is very rare. We report a case in which a totally occluded, unprotected distal left main coronary artery was successfully revascularized percutaneously, establishing normal flow in the left main, left anterior descending and left circumflex coronary arteries.     

Primary and elective stenting of unprotected isolated left main coronary ostial stenosis in acute coronary syndrome

Direct surgical angioplasty or coronary artery bypass graft has been done in patients who have left main coronary ostial stenosis. Recent reports have demonstrated that stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis has been attempted as an alternative to bypass surgery in selected patients with normal LV function. We report two patients with isolated left main coronary ostial stenosis who are undergoing primary and elective stenting, respectively. Major cardiac events did not occur during a 3-month follow-up. This study suggests that stenting of isolated left main coronary ostial stenosis in acute coronary syndrome is feasible and results in excellent outcomes.