Does the SYNTAX score get on your nerves? Practical considerations on how and when avoiding it to maximize its usefulness with no waste of time

The Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention With TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score is a useful tool to guide decision-making in patients undergoing three-vessel disease and left main percutaneous coronary intervention. However, someone perceives the SYNTAX score as a labor-intensive surrogate with no added utility over clinical judgment and technical experience. We aimed at reviewing the current limitations of the SYNTAX score and provided practical considerations on how and when this angiographic tool should be used with the goal in mind to maximize its usefulness in the catheterization laboratory.