Chronic Total Occlusion Revascularization Research Articles

Revascularization of Chronic Total Occlusions vs. Planned Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Long-Term Outcomes and Mortality

Introduction: The number of chronic total occlusion (CTO) revascularization procedures has continuously increased, obtaining better results in recent years. However, there are few data regarding long-term outcomes and no comparisons to planned complex non-CTO percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: We included all patients undergoing planned complex PCI. Our main objective was to compare a combined endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization at the long-term follow-up of CTO PCI versus planned complex non-CTO PCI. We compared the groups using multivariable Cox regression and performed a propensity score matching analysis to control the baseline characteristics. We repeated the analysis for the separate components of the primary endpoint. Results: From January 2018 to June 2023, 1394 complex coronary PCIs were performed at our center. After excluding 393 non-planned cases, 201 CTO PCIs and 800 non-CTO PCIs were included. The mean follow-up was 2.5 ± 1.5 years. The composite endpoint occurred in 23 (11.6%) CTO PCIs and 219 (28.2%) planned non-CTO PCIs. The multivariable Cox regression using the CTO group as the reference showed a lower risk for the primary outcome (HR: 0.59; 95% CI 0.37–0.95; p = 0.031). After matching, a total of 195 adequately balanced pairs were obtained. The CTO group presented a lower risk for the primary combined outcome (HR: 0.46; 95% CI 0.27–0.76; p = 0.003). Conclusions: In patients undergoing planned complex PCI, those in the CTO group presented a reduced risk of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization at the end of the follow-up.

Relentless Angina of a Scarred Heart

Refractory anginal pain affects nearly 5-10% of stable coronary artery disease patients, and maximizing the anti-ischemic medical therapy is the standard first-line treatment. The presence of a scarred myocardial territory of the epicardial coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) limits the implementation of other modalities, such as angioplasty and surgical bypass. Accordingly, this subset of patients, who show poor response to medical treatment with the absence of considerable reversible ischemia, bears an additional burden of persistent angina besides the structural and functional complications resulting from their scarred hearts. In this report, a patient, with compensated ischemic cardiomyopathy, complaining of disabling stable angina was indicated for diagnostic coronary angiography that showed a chronic total occlusion (CTO) at the mid-segment of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and otherwise no significant stenoses in the epicardial coronary tree. After the failure of maximized anti-ischemic medical therapy, the patient underwent elective percutaneous intervention (PCI) to the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) chronic total occlusion (CTO) with 2 overlapping drug-eluting stents that yielded a favorable outcome on patient follow-up even though a myocardial perfusion imaging failed to show considerable reversible ischemia at the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) territory. The report points out that elective chronic total occlusion (CTO) revascularization may alleviate anginal pain, despite the absence of a considerable macroscopic ischemia, after failure of a maximized anti-ischemic medical regimen.

Abstract 4138792: A Case of Right Coronary Artery Chronic Total Occlusion in a Transplanted Heart: To Stent or Not to Stent?

Background: Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy (CAV) is commonly seen in transplanted hearts. Due to the absence of innervation, many transplanted patients have no symptoms despite extensive disease. This poses a challenge in deciding when to perform coronary interventions. We present a case of significant CAV on surveillance angiogram that posed a challenge in management. Case: A 67-year-old female presented for her fifth surveillance coronary angiography nine and a half years after her heart transplant. The angiogram revealed ostial right coronary artery (RCA) chronic total occlusion (CTO) with left-to-right collaterals as well as diffuse irregularities in the left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex arteries. The patient was asymptomatic and two years prior to that, her angiogram revealed no significant disease. Biopsies for the past nine years showed no evidence of allograft rejection. She was subsequently referred for coronary intervention. Due to concern of CTO being a sign of rapidly progressing CAV, it was decided to undergo revascularization of the RCA. Antegrade approach was performed with guidance from contralateral injections. Three overlapping drug-eluting stents were deployed proximally-distally using intravascular ultrasound guidance. Surveillance angiography nine months later showed patent RCA stents with no significant disease otherwise. Eighteen months later, angiography demonstrated CTO of the mid LAD and patent RCA stents with mild in-stent restenosis in the most distal RCA stent. The patient remained asymptomatic. Discussion: CAV develops in fifty percent of transplanted hearts within 10 years and requires close surveillance. In this case, revascularization of the RCA CTO resulted in maintaining graft function for at least two additional years as the development of LAD CTO may have resulted in graft failure had the RCA CTO not been intervened upon. CTO revascularization in CAV has the potential to prolong graft viability and delay the need for re-transplantation. Further studies related to CTO revascularization, especially in asymptomatic transplanted patients, are needed to understand the impact on morbidity and mortality in this patient population.

Machine learning prediction models for individualized technical success of chronic total occlusion revascularization using anatomical input

Abstract Introduction Chronic total occlusion revascularization (CTO PCI) remains a challenging procedure in the realm of percutaneous coronary interventions. Efforts such as implementing the hybrid algorithm for CTO crossing have been made. Interventional techniques are evolving, and complexity scores such as the J-CTO score might get outdated. Machine learning models can be used to overcome this limitation by constantly providing new data and improving the models by continuous data feeding. In this study, we introduced machine learning models to predict individualized technical success of CTO PCI using anatomical coronary information and baseline information. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total occlusions were enrolled in this study. Angiographic data and lesion characteristics from coronary angiography were extracted. Machine learning models were applied to predict technical success. A total of 271 patients were used to validate and train the models and 50 separate patients for testing. Data was normalized and fed to several classifying machine learning models including decision trees (DT), random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), CatBoost (CB) classifiers, and light gradient boosting (LGB). Finally, accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score of the selected hyperparameters and cross-validation was performed. Results CB was the best performing model with an accuracy of 0.81, precision of 0.83 and recall of 0.98. The F1 score was 0.90. RF was the second-best performing model with accuracy of 0.77, precision of 0.82, recall of 0.92 and F1 score 0.87. The tuned models performed modestly with RF having a low F1 score of 0.44, due to small sample size. In the tuned models. LGB had a higher F1 score and a relatively high accuracy (0.782) and precision (0.508). The feature importance matrix found age, CTO length, reference diameter to have the highest value among the lesion complexity parameters. Discussion: Overall, the normal-run CB was the best model for predicting the technical success after a CTO PCI with a high accuracy. The fine-tuned and cross-validated models performed modestly because of the relatively small, unbalanced dataset and overfitting. However, data showed promising first results in implementing machine learning into predicting interventional outcomes. Further studies like data augmentation and providing a weighted dataset would increase the model performance and provide a very precise statement whether a patient would have increased chances to have a successful PCI based on baseline anatomic information. Conclusion This is one of the first studies to predict technical success of CTO PCI using angiographic baseline parameters using machine learning. Future studies with larger patient cohorts are needed to involve deploying the selected model in larger patient cohorts including external validation and assessing its performance with new, unseen data.Figure 1.Machine learning modelsFigure 2.Feature importance matrix

Évaluation de l’impact économique et du parcours patient lors du traitement de l’occlusion coronaire totale chronique

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of coronary arteries is defined as complete absence of antegrade coronary flow without iodine passage, since more than 3 months. Coronary revascularization is a highly resource-intensive angioplasty procedure involving numerous medical devices (MDs). Its consumption and associated costs are not covered by either the medical act classification (CCAM) or the hospitalization fees and additional MD funding. The primary aim of this study is to analyze the financial sustainability of this activity for a public healthcare institution and to assess the budgetary impact of CTO treatment on the most expensive items of expenditure. The secondary aim is to describe the patient's intra-hospital pathway. CTO revascularization stays are categorized under the code 05K06 "Vascular Stents without Myocardial Infarction". Major cost items were identified using national coded expenditure data and compared with those from our cost study. Every CTO intervention from January to November 2021 were retrospectively retrieved. Establishment purchase prices in 2021 were used to determine MD costs. Clinical data were extracted from electronic patient records. Operative data (procedure duration, professionals involved, and MD used) were extracted. Human Resources (HR) costs were integrated into the calculations. A Sankey diagram was created. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. In our study, 41 patients underwent 45 interventions. The median was 65 years. 78% of interventions were successful with a median duration of 113 minutes. 222 different MD references were used, with 27% reimbursed additionally and 73% funded within the homogeneous group of stays (HGS). The total cost of MD described in the coded expenditure data is 2142euro, of which 721euro is funded within the HGS. In our cohort, it represented averages of 2736euro ± 1393euro and 1710euro ± 926euro, respectively. Regarding HR, the total cost described in the coded expenditure data was 442euro compared to 410euro ± 169euro in our cohort. Finally, patient pathway analysis showed an average length of stay (LOS) of 1.8 days. Two pathways were identified depending on admission context: weekday hospitalization or cardiac intensive care. CTO revascularization is a planned intervention with a short LOS and a highly standardized patient pathway. Our study highlights a proliferation of MD references used during CTO revascularization due to innovative industrial developments. The cost differential with coded expenditure data confirms the need for a revision of the procedure and its categorization within an HGS, which is currently non-specific.

Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Robotic Coronary Bypass for Left Anterior Descending Artery Chronic Total Occlusion

BackgroundBoth percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) and robotic-assisted coronary artery bypass (CAB) offer viable options for left anterior descending (LAD) chronic total occlusion (CTO) revascularization. Our study aims to compare long-term clinical outcomes associated with these 2 strategies. MethodsIn this retrospective study, we analyzed data from 273 patients diagnosed with LAD CTO who underwent either PCI (n = 129) or CAB (n = 144) at a single institution. Long-term follow-up was available for 96 PCI and 125 CAB patients. We employed Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test to conduct cumulative survival analyses free of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), cumulative survival, survival free of myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization. ResultsIn the study cohort, patients who underwent PCI exhibited a higher prevalence of comorbidities including diabetes (48.9% vs 24.6%; P < .001), lower ejection fraction (44 ± 14 vs 52 ± 10; P < .001), prior heart failure (36.6% vs 22.2%; P = .02), and prior bypass surgery (16% vs 0, P < .001). PCI to non-LAD vessels was performed as part of initial complete revascularization in 40.3% of PCI and 40.6% of CAB patients. Upon a median 3.4 years of follow-up, CAB patients had significantly higher rates of survival free of MACE compared to PCI patients (unadjusted hazard ratio, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.13-5.03). Although PCI patients had similar unadjusted mortality, they experienced higher myocardial infarction and repeat revascularizations compared to CAB. However, the risk of repeat revascularization was attenuated after adjusting for prior bypass, diabetes, and ejection fraction. ConclusionsAmong patients with LAD CTO, those undergoing robotic-assisted CAB had a higher 5-year overall survival free of MACE compared to those who underwent PCI. This discrepancy in outcomes can be attributed in part to the greater burden of comorbidities among PCI patients.

The Role of Coronary CT Angiography in Chronic Total Occlusion Coronary Intervention

Context: The application of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is increasingly being recognized for its role in diagnosing and ruling out coronary artery disease (CAD). This editorial letter discusses the usefulness of CCTA in planning for chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO PCI). Evidence Acquisition: We searched for articles using Google Scholar and the PubMed Database. The keywords used were "Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA)," "Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) intervention," "pre-procedural CTO PCI," and "post-CTO interventions." The articles included in the review were published between 2013 and 2023. Results: Regarding pre-procedural planning for the revascularization of chronic total occlusions (CTOs), there is significant interest in the ability of CCTA to visualize and analyze coronary atherosclerotic plaque. Additionally, CCTA can provide three-dimensional coronary vessel imaging. Following post-CTO intervention, CCTA is utilized to determine whether the formation of new channels and plaque remodeling will improve the chances of future successful interventions. Conclusions: CCTA allows for the precise assessment of anatomical features without invasive procedures, making the diagnosis of CAD easier. The technology is advancing rapidly, with new scanners offering higher resolution, better-quality images, and reduced radiation exposure.

N terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide level and benefits of chronic total occlusion revascularization

BackgroundThe management of revascularization of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) remains controversial. Whether specific patients gain survival benefit from CTO revascularization remains unknown. ObjectivesWe investigated whether (i) patients with CTO have higher N terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT pro-BNP) levels than patients without CTO, (ii) in patients with CTO, NT pro-BNP levels predict adverse events, and (iii) those with elevated levels benefit from revascularization. MethodsIn 392 patients with stable, significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and CTO undergoing coronary angiography, rates of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and a composite (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and heart failure hospitalizations) were investigated. Unadjusted and adjusted Cox proportional and Fine and Gray sub-distribution hazard models were performed to determine the association between NT pro-BNP levels and incident event rates in patients with CTO. ResultsNT pro-BNP levels were higher in patients with, compared to those without CTO (median 230.0 vs. 177.7 pg/mL, p ≤0.001). Every doubling of NT pro-BNP level in patients with CTO was associated with a > 25% higher rate of adverse events. 111 (28.5%) patients underwent CTO revascularization. In patients with elevated NT pro-BNP levels (> 125 pg/mL), those who underwent CTO revascularization had substantially lower adverse event rates compared to patients without CTO revascularization (adjusted cardiovascular death hazard ratio 0.29, 95% confidence interval (0.09–0.88). However, in patients with low NT pro-BNP levels (≤ 125 pg/mL), event rates were similar in those with and without CTO revascularization. ConclusionNT pro-BNP levels can help identify individuals who may benefit from CTO revascularization.

C-43 | Causes and Predictors of 30 Days Readmission After Revascularization For Chronic Total Occlusion in Patients With History of Ventricular Tachycardia: Nationwide Readmissions Database Analysis.

C-43 | Causes and Predictors of 30 Days Readmission After Revascularization For Chronic Total Occlusion in Patients With History of Ventricular Tachycardia: Nationwide Readmissions Database Analysis.

Long-term clinical outcomes in elderly patients with chronic total occlusion and type 2 diabetes: the impact of coronary collateralization following successful recanalization

Background and purpose: Chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions commonly affect elderly patients, especially those with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), often associated with coronary collaterals (CC). However, it remains unclear whether CC influences the prognosis of CTO. This retrospective single-center study aimed to evaluate the prognostic relevance of CC in elderly patients with T2DM after successful revascularization for CTO. Methods: We analyzed data from 416 patients diagnosed with CTO who underwent successful revascularization between January 2013 and January 2017. Patients were categorized into two groups: the Non-T2DM group and T2DM group. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the status of CC. The primary outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during the follow-up period, with the secondary outcomes including all-cause mortality, cardiac death, and repeat revascularization. Results: CC did not significantly impact clinical endpoints in the overall elderly patient population. However, we observed a lower incidence of MACE, cardiac death, all-cause mortality, and repeat revascularization in the Non-T2DM group compared to the T2DM group. In patients without T2DM, poor-CC was associated with higher rates of all-cause mortality (9% vs. 18%, P = 0.041), an increased risk of cardiac death (5% vs. 12%, P = 0.042), and a greater incidence of MACE (15% vs. 28%, P = 0.031), whereas no such associations were observed in T2DM patients. Furthermore, in multivariate Cox analysis, T2DM emerged as an independent factor influencing the time to MACE (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]:1.847, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.215–2.810, P = 0.004) and repeat revascularization (adjusted HR: 2.093, 95% CI: 1.310–3.344, P = 0.002) in elderly CTO patients, rather than coronary collateralization. Notably, regardless of the quality of CC, elderly patients with T2DM exhibited a poorer prognosis. Conclusions: Elderly patients without T2DM derived greater long-term survival benefits from successful revascularization of CTO compared to those with T2DM. Additionally, good collateralization was associated with a decreased risk of adverse clinical outcomes specifically in Non-T2DM patients.

Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion Revascularization: When, Who and How?

Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) are an increasingly frequent entity in clinical practice and represent a challenging percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) scenario. Despite data from randomized trials that have not yet demonstrated a clear benefit of CTO recanalization, the widespread of CTO-PCI has substantially increased. The improvement in operators' techniques, equipment, and training programs has led to an improvement in the success rate and safety of these procedures, which will represent an important field of future development of PCI. The present review will summarize clinical outcomes and technical and safety issues of CTO revascularization with the aim to guide clinical daily cath-lab practice.

Endovascular Treatment as an Alternative to Bypass Surgery for Juxtarenal Aortic Occlusion: Results from the CHAOS (CHronic Abdominal Aortic Occlusion, ASian Multicenter) Registry

Juxtarenal aortic occlusion (JRAO), in which the occlusion of the aorta extends to just below the renal artery, is often treated by bypass surgery because of concerns about the risk of procedural failure and fatal embolization to abdominal organs when treated with endovascular treatment (EVT). This study assessed the outcome of EVT for JRAO compared with aorto-biiliac /aorto-bifemoral (AOB) or axillo-bifemoral (AXB) bypass. A retrospective review of an international database created by 30 centers in Asia (CHronic Abdominal Aortic Occlusion, ASian Multicenter registry) was performed for patients who underwent revascularization for chronic total occlusion of the infrarenal aorta from 2007 to 2017. Of the 436 patients, 130 with JRAO (Forty-seven AOBs, 32 AXBs, and 51 EVTs) from 25 institutions were included in this study. Patients were significantly older in the AXB and EVT groups and more malnourished in the EVT group than the AOB group. EVT was attempted but failed in 1 patient. Seven patients (1 [2.1%] in the AOB group, 1 [3.1%] in the AXB group, and 5 [9.8%] in the EVT group) died during hospitalization, but most of the causes in the EVT group were not related to the revascularization procedure. No visceral embolism was observed, which had been concerned, even though protection was performed only in 2 cases of the EVT group. At the latest follow-up (median duration 3.0years), the ankle-brachial pressure index was significantly higher in the order of AOB, EVT, and AXB. At 4years, the estimated primary and secondary patency rates of the AOB group (87.5% and 90.3%, respectively) were significantly higher than the AXB group (66.7% and 68.6%, respectively). AOB remains the gold standard and should be the first choice for acceptable risk patients. For frail patients, EVT is a good option and likely preferable as a first-line treatment compared to AXB.

Outcomes following coronary chronic total occlusion revascularization with drug-coated balloons.

Despite the introduction of improved drug eluting stents (DES), the rate of repeat revascularization procedures following percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) remains high. By leaving vessels uncaged and limiting length of stented segments, drug-coated balloons (DCB) represent an appealing alternative to DES for CTO-PCI. Since data supporting the use of DCBs in CTO-PCI is scarce, we compared the outcomes of patients undergoing CTO-PCI involving DCBs vs DES only. From 2 prospective registries, outcomes of patients undergoing CTO-PCI involving DCBs and those undergoing PCI with DES only were compared. Outcomes included major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and cardiovascular death (CV-death). Overall, 157 patients were studied; 112 (71%) underwent CTO-PCI involving DCBs and 45 (29%) were treated with DES only. Mean J-CTO score was 1.84 ± 0.7. Most CTO-lesions involved the right coronary artery, 88 (56%), and 26 (17%) cases were in-stent occlusions. In the DCB group, 46 (41%) lesions were treated with DCBs alone. Mean lengths of the stented segments in the DCB vs DES cohorts were 59 ± 28 mm vs 87 ± 37 mm (P less than .001), respectively. After 12 months, the MACCE rate was higher in the DES only vs DCB group (26% vs 11%, P=.03). Length of the stented segment was an independent predictor for MACCE (HR 1.15 [95% CI, 1.05-1.26] per 10-mm stent length). Revascularization of CTO lesions involving DCBs appears safe and potentially lowers MACCE rates compared to treatment with DES alone. Importantly, using DCBs for CTO treatment may reduce total stent length, which determines PCI outcomes.

Outcomes following coronary chronic total occlusion revascularization with drug-coated balloons.

Despite the introduction of improved drug eluting stents (DES), the rate of repeat revascularization procedures following percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) in coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) remains high. By leaving vessels uncaged and limiting length of stented segments, drug-coated balloons (DCB) represent an appealing alternative to DES for CTO-PCI. Since data supporting the use of DCBs in CTO-PCI is scarce, we compared the outcomes of patients undergoing CTO-PCI involving DCBs vs DES only. From 2 prospective registries, outcomes of patients undergoing CTO-PCI involving DCBs and those undergoing PCI with DES only were compared. Outcomes included major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and cardiovascular death (CV-death). Overall, 157 patients were studied; 112 (71%) underwent CTO-PCI involving DCBs and 45 (29%) were treated with DES only. Mean J-CTO score was 1.84 ± 0.7. Most CTO-lesions involved the right coronary artery, 88 (56%), and 26 (17%) cases were in-stent occlusions. In the DCB group, 46 (41%) lesions were treated with DCBs alone. Mean lengths of the stented segments in the DCB vs DES cohorts were 59 ± 28 mm vs 87 ± 37 mm (P less than .001), respectively. After 12 months, the MACCE rate was higher in the DES only vs DCB group (26% vs 11%, P=.03). Length of the stented segment was an independent predictor for MACCE (HR 1.15 [95% CI, 1.05-1.26] per 10-mm stent length). Revascularization of CTO lesions involving DCBs appears safe and potentially lowers MACCE rates compared to treatment with DES alone. Importantly, using DCBs for CTO treatment may reduce total stent length, which determines PCI outcomes.

Updated Strategies in Non-Culprit Stenosis Management of Multivessel Coronary Disease-A Contemporary Review.

The prevalence of multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients underscores the need for optimal revascularization strategies. The ongoing debate surrounding percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), hybrid interventions, or medical-only management adds complexity to decision-making, particularly in specific angiographic scenarios. The article critically reviews existing literature, providing evidence-based perspectives on non-culprit lesion revascularization in ACS. Emphasis is placed on nuances such as the selection of revascularization methods, optimal timing for interventions, and the importance of achieving completeness in revascularization. The debate between culprit-only revascularization and complete revascularization is explored in detail, focusing on ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), including patients with cardiogenic shock. Myocardial revascularization guidelines and recent clinical trials support complete revascularization strategies, either during the index primary PCI or within a short timeframe following the culprit lesion PCI (in both STEMI and NSTEMI). The article also addresses the complexities of decision-making in NSTEMI patients with multivessel CAD, advocating for immediate multivessel PCI unless complex coronary lesions require a staged revascularization approach. Finally, the article provided contemporary data on chronic total occlusion revascularization in ACS patients, highlighting the prognostic impact. In conclusion, the article addresses the evolving challenges of managing multivessel CAD in ACS patients, enhancing thoughtful integration into the clinical practice of recent data. We provided evidence-based, individualized approaches to optimize short- and long-term outcomes. The ongoing refinement of clinical and interventional strategies for non-culprit lesion management remains dynamic, necessitating careful consideration of patient characteristics, coronary stenosis complexity, and clinical context.

Circ-MBOAT2 Regulates Angiogenesis via the miR-495/NOTCH1 Axis and Associates with Myocardial Perfusion in Patients with Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion.

Revascularization of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) still remains controversial. The factors that impact collateral circulation and myocardial perfusion are of interest. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been shown to regulate the process of angiogenesis. However, the effects of circ-membrane-bound O-acyltransferase domain containing 2 (circ-MBOAT2) on angiogenesis in patients with CTO were unclear. In this study, we evaluated circulating circRNAs and miRNAs in patients with CTO and stable coronary artery disease using high-throughput sequencing. Another cohort of patients were selected to verify the expressions of circ-MBOAT2 and miR-495. The role and mechanism of circ-MBOAT2 in the process of angiogenesis were explored through in vitro and vivo studies. Finally, we came back to a clinical perspective and investigated whether circ-MBOAT2 and miR-495 were associated with the improvement of myocardial perfusion evaluated by single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). We found that the expression of circ-MBOAT2 was significantly up-regulated while miR-495 was significantly down-regulated in patients with CTO. The expression of circ-MBOAT2 was negatively correlated with miR-495 in patients with CTO. In an in vitro study, we found that circ-MBOAT2 promoted tube formation and cell migration via the miR-495/NOTCH1 axis in endothelial cells. In an in vivo study, we showed that the inhibition of miR-495 caused the increase in collateral formation in mice after hindlimb ischemia. In a human study, we showed the expressions of circ-MBOAT2 and miR-495 were associated with myocardial perfusion improvement after revascularization of CTO. In conclusion, circ-MBOAT2 regulates angiogenesis via the miR-495/NOTCH1 axis and associates with myocardial perfusion in patients with CTO. Our findings suggest that circ-MBOAT2 and miR-495 may be potential therapeutic targets and prognostic factors for patients with CTO.

Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Total Occlusion

BackgroundAlthough a chronic total occlusion (CTO) in the setting of an acute coronary syndrome is associated with higher risk, the prognosis of patients with stable CAD and CTOs remains unknown. ObjectivesTo investigate adverse event rates in patients with stable CAD with and without a CTO. MethodsIn 3597 patients with stable CAD (>50% coronary luminal stenosis) undergoing cardiac catheterization, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and the composite major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates for cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and heart failure hospitalization were evaluated. Cox proportional hazards and Fine and Gray sub-distribution hazard models were employed to compare event-free survival in patient subsets after adjustment for covariates. ResultsEvent rates were higher in patients with CTOs compared to those without CTOs after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics (cardiovascular death hazard ratio (HR) 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05 – 1.57, p = 0.012). Patients with CTO revascularization had lower event rates compared to those without CTO revascularization (cardiovascular death HR 0.43, CI 0.26 – 0.70, p = 0.001). Those with non-revascularized CTOs were at particularly high risk, when compared to those without CTO (cardiovascular death HR 1.52, CI 1.25 – 1.84 p < 0.001). Moreover, those with revascularized CTOs had similar event rates as patients with CAD without CTOs. ConclusionPatients with CTO have higher rates of adverse cardiovascular events compared to patients with significant CAD without CTO. This risk is greatest in individuals with non-revascularized CTO.

Immediate Interventional Management of Aortocoronary Dissection During PCI: A Case Report

Aortocoronary dissection is a rare and potentially fatal complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. It is more common when performing interventions of the right coronary artery or during revascularization of chronic total occlusions. Here, we aimed to provide more data regarding a less common form of this complication. We present the case of an 81-year old woman admitted with an acute infero-lateral myocardial infarction, who was indicated for emergency primary coronary intervention. After revascularization of the left circumflex artery, the left main coronary artery exhibited retrograde dissection into the ascending aorta. This complication was managed with immediate placement of another coronary stent at the left main coronary artery. Further propagation of the dissection was prevented. The patient was discharged in good health with antiagregant and rhythm control therapy for new onset atrial fibrillation. Although retrograde dissection of the left main coronary artery is a very rare complication, it can be successfully managed interventionally.

Impact of Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion Revascularization Strategy on 30-Day Outcomes in Patients with Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction.

The postprocedural outcomes of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) revascularization in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) are still unclear. In this study, the periprocedural safety of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for revascularization of CTO in patients with LVSD is evaluated.In this study, patients hospitalized for coronary heart disease complicated by LVSD who underwent CTO PCI or CTO CABG between 2014 and 2020 were involved. The primary endpoint was 30-day major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE), defined as the composite of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and target vessel revascularization. To evaluate the influence of the CTO revascularization strategies on 30-day outcomes, inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) based on the propensity score was employed, and to identify predictors of 30-day MACCE, Cox regression was utilized.Among the 658 patients who satisfied the criteria, 440 (66.87%) underwent CTO PCI, and 218 (33.13%) underwent CTO CABG. The primary endpoint occurred in 30 (4.56%) patients, which is mainly attributed to all-cause mortality. Following IPTW adjustment, CTO CABG was found to be associated with significantly elevated risks of 30-day MACCE and MI (all P < 0.05).In this study in which patients with CTO and LVSD were examined, an increased risk of 30-day MACCE was observed in those who underwent CTO CABG. For such complex and high-risk patients, CTO PCI may represent a revascularization strategy that offers superior postprocedural safety.

Revascularization of chronic total occlusion – Does the side matter?

Revascularization of chronic total occlusion – Does the side matter?