Paris, France, 19−22 May 2026. The EuroPCR Course Directors have selected 3 major late-breaking trials that will be presented for the first time during EuroPCR 2026 and are set to impact practice worldwide. Among them is a meta-analysis of long-term data from 4 randomised trials investigating revascularisation strategies in patients with left main coronary artery disease.
Randomised trials have investigated the optimal revascularisation strategy for patients with left main coronary artery disease, comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents (DES) with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In 2021, a meta-analysis of 4 trials − SYNTAX, PRECOMBAT, NOBLE and EXCEL – found no statistically significant difference in 5-year all-cause mortality between DES PCI and CABG.1 Long-term follow-up of these trials is now complete, providing the opportunity to evaluate the effects of DES PCI and CABG on mortality over an extended period.
An individual participant data meta-analysis of these trials was presented by Brian Bergmark. The meta-analysis included 10-year data for SYNTAX, PRECOMBAT and NOBLE, and 5-year data for EXCEL.
This meta-analysis of long-term data indicates that either DES PCI or CABG may be considered for left main revascularisation in patients who are deemed to be suitable for both approaches by a multidisciplinary team. These findings strengthen the role of DES PCI in contemporary practice and endorse the role of the multidisciplinary team in clinical decision-making processes.