Unprotected left main stenting with a second-generation drug-eluting stent: one-year outcomes of the LEMAX Pilot study

Abstract

We sought to assess the efficacy and safety of everolimus-eluting stents for unprotected left main disease. A total of 173 consecutive patients with de novo significant unprotected left main stenosis received an everolimus-eluting stent in four French centres. Among them, 140 (81 %) had involvement of the distal portion of left main, and 129/140 (92%) were treated with provisional side branch T-stenting, with a side branch stenting rate of 20%. Angiographic success was achieved in all cases. At 12 months, the cumulative rate of major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE) was 26/173 (15%) including death from any cause (N=5, 2.9%), stroke (N=4, 2.3%), Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI) (N=2, 1.2%), non-Q-wave MI (N=6, 3.5%) and any repeat revascularisation (N=16, 9.3%). At one year, the rate of target-lesion revascularisation (TLR) was 5/173 (2.9%), target-vessel revascularisation was 12/173 (7 %) and the rate of definite or probable left main stent thrombosis 1/173 (0.6 %). Unprotected left main stenting using everolimus-eluting stents and a strategy of provisional side branch T-stenting for distal lesions, is safe and effective in the midterm, with a relatively low rate of events and reintervention at one year.