Chronic total coronary occlusion percutaneous intervention

Chronic total coronary occlusions (CTO) are present in about 20% of patients with relevant coronary artery disease, >50% have well-preserved LV function and >80% have no Q-waves in the CTO territory, suggesting that the dependent myocardium is viable. The presence of a CTO on coronary angiography has a powerful impact on treatment decisions, resulting in more frequent referral to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or sole medical therapy compared with when only stenotic lesions are present.

This is primarily due to the extremely difficult and time-consuming task of addressing CTO by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Thanks to specific wires and ...