Percutaneous coronary intervention in left main coronary artery disease: the 13th consensus document from the European Bifurcation Club

Abstract

The 2017 European Bifurcation Club (EBC) meeting was held in Porto (Portugal) and allowed a multidisciplinary international faculty to review and discuss the latest data collected in the field of coronary bifurcation interventions. In particular, the topic of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on left main coronary artery (LM) disease was highlighted as a contemporary priority. Herein, we summarise the key LM anatomy features, the diagnostic modalities and available data that are relevant for a patient's procedural management. Since the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing PCI on LM disease may depend on both PCI team organisation and PCI performance, the optimal catheterisation laboratory set-up and the rationales for device and technique selection are critically reviewed. The best lesion preparation modalities, the different DES implantation technique choices and the strategies to be considered during PCI on unprotected LM for optimal PCI results are reviewed step by step.