Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Left Main Chronic Total Occlusion: Unprotected or Protected Case?

A 60-year-old male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and active smoking was admitted for positive treadmill test. He reported exertional chest pain 4 months ago; however, since then he had been symptom free. Echocardiography showed severe anteroseptal and mild inferoposterior hypokinesia, preserved wall thickness and moderately reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction. Coronary angiography revealed non-calcified chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the left main (LM) with microchannel toward the left circumflex artery (Cx). Oligosymptomatic or asymptomatic patients with unprotected LM-CTO are rarely encountered.