Left main disease progression following left branch vessel percutaneous intervention in patients who are referred for coronary artery bypass grafting.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: We studied patients presenting for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with significant left main coronary artery disease (LMD) despite previously documented minimal or no LMD at percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for left-sided branch coronary artery disease. METHODS: Patients undergoing CABG for LMD with previous PCI were separated into fast or slow stenosis progression using percent change in LMD from first PCI to CABG divided by time (progression velocity). Outcomes and Kaplan-Meier survival were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Between September 1997 and June 2010, 4837 patients underwent CABG with 1235 of them having previous PCI of which 118 had LMD and previous left-sided branch PCI. Using median progression velocity fast and slow progression groups were identified (0.53 ± 0.18 and 4.5 ± 4.8%/month, p < 0.001). Mean follow-up was 4.9 ± 3.6 years and 6.9 ± 3.9 years, respectively. Fast progression patients were younger (p = 0.042), with higher baseline LMD at PCI (16.4% vs. 9% stenosis, p = 0.025), and a mean of 2.5 years to LMD compared to 10.6 years for the slow group (p < 0.001). There was no difference between the groups in number or type of PCI and number or type of vessel intervened. Kaplan-Meier survival was similar at one, three, and five years. CONCLUSIONS: Fast LMD progression patients were younger and made up 4.7% (59/1235) of patients undergoing CABG with a history of PCI. Rapid progression was not related to number, type of PCI, or branch vessel intervened.