Abstract

Procedure planning for chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention

Author(s): M McEntegart & JC Spratt

To maximize procedure success, chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention should be performed within a structured framework with robust procedural planning. The logistics of ring-fencing catheterization laboratory and chronic total occlusion operators’ time, and ensuring availability of specialist equipment should be established. Careful and appropriate patient selection and preparation should be in accordance with current guidelines. Thorough preprocedure angiographic analysis is vital to characterize the anatomy and complexity of the chronic total occlusion, and is key in determining the initial and subsequent strategies.