Very long-term follow-up for left main coronary artery stenting: a missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle

Significant left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis, which is defined as a 50% diameter stenosis that corresponds to a 75% area stenosis of the LMCA, is found in approximately 5–10% of all coronary angiograms performed for symptomatic coronary artery disease (1,2). Data obtained before the modern age of pharmacotherapy of coronary artery disease suggested that significant LMCA stenosis has a very grim prognosis when treated medically, with a mortality rate of 50% within 3 years of diagnosis (3,4).