Unraveling the EXCEL: promises and challenges of the next trial of left main percutaneous coronary intervention.

The Evaluation of Xience Prime or Xience V versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization (EXCEL) trial is a multicenter, ongoing trial conducted in patients with left main disease and SYNTAX score ≤ 32 to establish the presumptive advantage of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus bypass surgery in patients with less complex coronary artery disease than those enrolled in the Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) trial. In this article, we aimed at critically discussing key features and issues relevant to design and clinical interpretation of this new contemporary trial of left main PCI. Copyright Â