Emergency stenting of totally occluded left main coronary artery in acute myocardial infarction

We report a case of emergency stenting for acute occlusion of the left main coronary artery in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. Although stent implantation allowed prompt revascularization and successful immediate management of this life-threatening condition, subacute stent thrombosis occurred, requiring re-PTCA followed by surgical revascularization. This case suggests that stenting of an acutely occluded left main coronary artery may be a life-saving procedure but should only be used as a bridge to surgery rather than a definitive treatment modality.