Coronary artery bypass grafting versus stent implantation in patients with chronic coronary syndrome and left main disease: insights from a register throughout Germany

Background Recent randomized controlled trials have sparked debate about the optimal treatment of patients suffering from left main coronary artery disease. The present study analyzes outcomes of left main stenting versus coronary bypass grafting (CABG) in a nationwide registry in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). Methods All cases suffering from CCS and left main coronary artery disease treated either with CABG or stent, were identified within the database of the German bureau of statistics. Logistic or linear regression models were used with 20 baseline patient characteristics as potential confounders to compare both regimens. Results In 2018, 1318 cases with left main stenosis were treated with CABG and 8,920 with stent. Patients assigned for stenting were older (72.58 ± 9.87 vs. 68.63 ± 9.40, p < 0.001) and at higher operative risk, as assessed by logistic EuroSCORE (8.77 ± 8.45 vs. 4.85 ± 4.65, p < 0.001). After risk adjustment, no marked differences in outcomes were found for in-hospital mortality and stroke (risk adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for stent instead of CABG: aOR mortality: 1.08 [95% CI 0.66; 1.78], p = 0.748; aOR stroke: 0.59 [0.27; 1.32], p = 0.199). Stent implantation was associated with a reduced risk of relevant bleeding (aOR 0.38 [0.24; 0.61], p < 0.001), reduced prolonged ventilation time (aOR 0.54 [0.37 0.79], p = 0.002), and postoperative delirium (aOR 0.16 [0.11; 0.22], p < 0.001). Furthermore, stent implantation was associated with shorter hospital stay (− 6.78 days [− 5.86; − 7.71], p < 0.001) and lower costs (− €10,035 [− €11,500; − €8570], p < 0.001). Conclusion Left main stenting is a safe and effective treatment option for CCS-patients suffering from left main coronary artery disease at reasonable economic cost. Graphic abstract Coronary artery bypass grafting versus stent implantation in patients with chronic coronary syndrome and left main disease: insights from a register throughout Germany. All cases with chronic coronary syndrome and left main stenosis treated in 2018 in Germany either with left main stenting or coronary bypass grafting were extracted from a nation-wide database. In-hospital outcomes were compared after logistic regression analysis.