Thirty Years Later: Evolution of Treatment for Acute Left Main Coronary Artery Occlusion

Figure 1

(a) Coronary angiography of patient number 1, catheterized 15 days after arrival showing complete occlusion of the left main coronary artery. Note femoral approach (published with permission from Elsevier), (b) patient number 2 coronary angiography showing complete occlusion of the left main coronary artery (white arrow), (c) after passing a guidewire down the left main and left anterior descending arteries the circumflex coronary artery was demonstrated (white arrow); left main coronary artery filling defect is demonstrated (black arrow), (d) thrombus aspirated from the left main prior to angioplasty, and (e) patient left main and left anterior descending coronary arteries demonstrated during the second catheterization, three days after arrival.

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)