The present study evaluated acute and late results with stenting following directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) for the lesions in the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Between April 1995 and January 1997, 200 LAD lesions with > or =3 mm reference vessel diameter were treated with coronary stents. The lesions were divided as to whether or not DCA was performed before stenting; 1) stenting alone (n = 163) and 2) debulking and stenting (n = 37). There were no significant differences in the incidences of complications except for non-Q-wave myocardial infarction that was more frequent in patients with debulking and stenting than in those with stenting alone (13.5% vs. 2.4%, P < 0.05). A greater acute lumen gain (2.85 +/- 0.66 vs. 2.25+/-0.60 mm, P < 0.01) and minimal lumen diameter (3.64+/-0.56 vs. 3.15+/-0.41 mm, P < 0.01) after stenting were observed in patients with debulking and stenting than in those with stenting alone. At follow-up patients with debulking and stenting continued to have a greater minimal lumen diameter (2.88+/-0.72 vs. 2.15+/-0.85 mm, P < 0.01) and had a lower restenosis rate (6.3% vs. 23.1%, P < 0.05) than those with stenting alone. Stenting following DCA appears to be advantageous in the LAD lesions with > or =3 mm reference vessel diameter.