What is the survival benefit of CABG compared to medical therapy in patients with left main CAD?
CABG confers a survival benefit over medical therapy in patients with left main CAD. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials performed 3 decades ago demonstrated a 66% reduction in mortality with CABG, with the benefit extending to 10 years. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) Registry contained data from 1484 patients with 50% left main CAD initially treated surgically or nonsurgically. Median survival duration was 13.3 years in the surgical group and 6.6 years in the medical group.