title: Outlook of drug-eluting stent implantation for unprotected left main disease: insights on long-term clinical predictors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been increasingly employed to treat unprotected left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis, with variable success. This strategy has been applied to patients undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation for unprotected LMCA stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2003 to June 2006, 114 consecutive patients with de novo unprotected LMCA stenosis underwent PCI with DES, and were followed over a mean period of 17.1 +/- 9.1 months. The primary endpoint of the study was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (cardiac death, myocardial infarction [MI] or target lesion revascularization [TLR]).
  
  
  RESULTS
  LMCA stenting was successfully performed in all patients. In-hospital mortality was 3.5%, with no in-hospital non-fatal MI or emergency coronary artery bypass grafts. During the follow-up period, the all-cause mortality rate was 7.9%, with 3.5% cardiac-related deaths. TLR was performed in 7.9% of patients, and the MACE rate was 14.9%. All non-surviving patients were at high surgical risk (EuroSCORE > 6) and had a significantly higher EuroSCORE than surviving patients that patients with a EuroSCORE < or = 11 had significantly improved survival rates over those with a EuroSCORE > 11 (p < 0.0001). Moreover, most of the patients who died of cardiac causes were diabetic (71.4% vs. 26.6%; p < 0.05). Acute coronary syndromes, as clinical presentation, and non-ostial LMCA disease were also significantly more common within non-surviving patients (100% vs. 67%; p < 0.05, and 92.3% vs. 66.3%; p = 0.05, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stenting of unprotected LMCA appears to be associated with a favorable mid-term outlook, especially in selected patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Specialization of Cardiology, University of Florence, Florence, Florence, Italy. sabinevecchio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vecchio
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chechi
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vittori
authors.forename: Giuseppe G L
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Biondi Zoccai
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lilli
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spaziani
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falchetti
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margheri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000401:mortality*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015607:Stents; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome