Percutaneous coronary artery stenting of unprotected left main coronary artery disease using drug-eluting stents: the initial Baylor University Medical Center experience.

Significant narrowing of the left main coronary artery is a high-risk condition with significant mortality risk. Bypass surgery is the current gold-standard treatment for unprotected left main (ULM) disease. Stenting utilizing drug-eluting stents (DES) is another therapeutic option for patients with ULM disease considered too high risk for bypass surgery or for patients who simply refuse bypass surgery. We have had great initial success with ULM stenting using DES in 10 selected patients at Baylor University Medical Center. Ongoing multicenter, international randomized studies comparing percutaneous coronary intervention with DES and bypass surgery will shed more light on the best treatment strategy for ULM coronary disease.