Coronary artery bypass grafting is superior to first-generation drug-eluting stents for unprotected left main coronary artery disease: An updated meta-analysis of 4 randomized, controlled trials

The optimal treatment approach for patients with unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease still remains unclear.1 In recent years, as a result of the advent of first-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs), restenosis rates have decreased relative to conventional bare metal stents, and the range of applications of percutaneous coronary intervention for ULMCA disease has been expanded.1 Several randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) comparing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with stenting2, 3, 4, 5 have recently been published, but the results are inconclusive. We aimed to get insights into the treatment of ULMCA disease by conducting an updated meta-analysis and metaregression of the recent RCTs.