Japanese Chronic Total Occlusion Score Research Articles

Technically Challenging Percutaneous Interventions of Chronic Total Occlusions Are Associated with Enhanced Platelet Activation.

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a frequently performed treatment option for recanalization in patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO). As CTO-PCIs are often complicated and challenging for interventionalists, the stressful and damaging nature of the procedure can be remarkable, thus platelets can be easily activated. Our aim was to investigate the effect of CTO-PCI on platelet activation and the expression of selected circulating microRNAs (miR) of platelet and endothelium origin after CTO-PCI. In this study, 50 subjects after CTO-PCI were enrolled. Blood samples were obtained before PCI, at 2 days and 3-6 months after the procedure to measure the degree of platelet activation and the level of plasma miR-223, miR-181b, and miR-126. Patients were divided based on the characteristics of the intervention. Patients with higher Japanese CTO scores and longer duration of PCI showed significantly elevated platelet P-selectin positivity (p = 0.004 and p = 0.013, respectively) 2 days after the procedure compared to pre-PCI and increased concentration of soluble P-selectin 3-6 months after the intervention (higher Japanese CTO score: p = 0.028 and longer duration of PCI: p = 0.023) compared to baseline values. Shorter total stent length caused a significantly lower miR-181b expression at 3-6 months after the intervention (p = 0.031), while no difference was observed in miR-223 and miR-126. One stent thrombosis occurred during the follow-up period. Although these technically challenging CTO-PCIs may cause enhanced platelet activation right after the intervention and long-term endothelial cell dysfunction, these interventions are not associated with more adverse clinical events.

New Angiographic Difficulty Score for First-Attempt Chronic Total Occlusion in the 3 Major Coronary Arteries

BackgroundChronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still challenging due to complex lesion morphology. Success rates may vary among the 3 major coronary arteries, influenced by clinical and angiographic characteristics. ObjectivesThis study sought to evaluate the differences in the predictors of unsuccessful PCI in first-attempt CTO lesions of the 3 major coronary arteries compared with the J-CTO (Japanese CTO) score. MethodsThis study assessed 6,408 first-attempt CTO patients from the Japanese CTO-PCI expert registry between January 2014 and December 2021, randomly assigned to derivation and validation sets. Difficulty scores for each artery were determined by assigning points to predictive unsuccessful factors. ResultsThe CTO lesions were distributed as follows: left anterior descending coronary artery: 2,245 (35%), left circumflex coronary artery: 1,131 (18%), and right coronary artery (RCA): 3,032 (47%). Regarding success rates, left circumflex coronary artery CTO had the lowest procedural success rate (90%) followed by RCA CTO (92%) and left anterior descending coronary artery CTO (94%). RCA CTO was significantly longer and more severely angulated, requiring more often the retrograde approach. A multivariate logistic analysis revealed that predictors of failed PCI were different in CTO lesions among the 3 major coronary arteries, respectively. Moreover, our difficulty score for RCA CTO was superior to the J-CTO score in predicting unsuccessful PCI. ConclusionsClinical and angiographic differences might explain the discrepancies of success rates in CTO lesions among the 3 major coronary arteries. Our novel difficulty score was comparable to the J-CTO score in predicting unsuccessful CTO-PCI with a superior discriminatory capacity.

Contemporary In-Hospital Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Insights from the MENATA (Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Asia) Chapter of the PROGRESS-CTO Registry

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been rapidly evolving in different parts of the world. We examined the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 1,079 consecutive CTO PCIs performed in 1,063 patients at 10 centers in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Asia regions between 2018 and 2022. The mean age was 61 ± 10years and 82% of the patients were men. The prevalence of diabetes (49%) and previous PCI (50%) was high. The most common target vessel was the right coronary artery (51%), followed by the left anterior descending artery (33%) and the circumflex artery (15%). The mean Japanese CTO score was 2.1 ± 1.2 and mean PROGRESS-CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention) score was 1.2 ± 1.0. The technical and procedural success rates were high (91% and 90%, respectively) with a low incidence (1.6%) of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events. The incidence of perforation was 4.6% (n=50): guidewire exit was the most common mechanism of perforation (48%) and 14 patients required pericardiocentesis (28%). Antegrade wire escalation was the most common crossing strategy used (91%), followed by retrograde approach (24%) and antegrade dissection and re-entry (12%). Median contrast volume, air kerma radiation dose, and fluoroscopy time were 300 (200 to 400) ml, 3.7 (2.0 to 6.3) Gy, and 40 (25 to 65) minutes, respectively. In conclusion, high success and acceptable complication rates are currently achieved at experienced centers in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Asia regions using a combination of crossing strategies.

Balloon-assisted subintimal entry (BASE) in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary interventions.

There is limited data on the use of the balloon-assisted subintimal entry (BASE) technique in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We analyzed the baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics and outcomes of 155 CTO PCIs that utilized the BASE technique at 31 US and non-US centers between 2016 and 2023. The BASE technique was used in 155 (7.9%) of 1968 antegrade dissection and re-entry (ADR) cases performed during the study period. The mean age was 66 ± 10 years, 88.9% of the patients were men, and the prevalence of diabetes (44.6%), hypertension (90.5%), and dyslipidemia (88.7%) was high. Compared with 1813 ADR cases that did not use BASE, the target vessel of the BASE cases was more commonly the RCA and less commonly the LAD. Lesions requiring BASE had longer occlusion length (42 ± 23 vs. 37 ± 23 mm, p = 0.011), higher Japanese CTO (J-CTO) (3.4 ± 1.0 vs. 3.0 ± 1.1, p < 0.001) and PROGRESS-CTO (Prospective Global Registry for the Study of Chronic Total Occlusion Intervention chronic total occlusion) (1.8 ± 1.0 vs. 1.5 ± 1.0, p = 0.008) scores, and were more likely to have proximal cap ambiguity, side branch at the proximal cap, blunt/no stump, moderate to severe calcification, and proximal tortuosity. Technical (71.6% vs. 75.5%, p = 0.334) and procedural success (71.6% vs. 72.8%, p = 0.821), as well as major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (1.3% vs. 4.1%, p = 0.124), were similar in ADR cases that used BASE and those that did not. The BASE technique is used in CTOs with longer occlusion length, higher J-CTO score, and more complex angiographic characteristics, and is associated with moderate success but also low MACE.

Antegrade versus Retrograde Approach for Recanalization of Ostial or Stumpless Coronary Chronic Total Occlusion.

This research aimed to evaluate the procedural and in-hospital clinical outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ostial or stumpless chronic total occlusion (CTO) utilizing both the antegrade-only and retrograde approaches. A comprehensive retrospective examination was conducted on the procedural and in-hospital clinical outcomes of 89 consecutive patients subjected to ostial or stumpless CTO PCI at our institution between April 2015 and October 2022. The antegrade-only technique demonstrated a superior technical success rate (92.0% vs 71.9%, p = 0.041) and procedural success rate (92.0% vs 68.8%, p = 0.022) in comparison to the retrograde approach (RA). The RA group presented a notably elevated Japanese-CTO (J-CTO) score relative to the antegrade-only approach group (2.45±0.73 vs 1.64±0.70, p < 0.001). The antegrade-only approach group manifested an increased frequency of microchannels at the proximal stump relative to the RA group (56.0% vs 10.9%, p < 0.001). In-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and in-hospital myocardial infarction (MI) were observed more prevalently in the RA group (18.8% vs 0, p = 0.003; 15.6% vs 0, p = 0.008; respectively). A J-CTO score below 2 and the manifestation of microchannels at the proximal stump were identified as predictors for successful antegrade-only approach PCI for ostial or stumpless CTO (OR: 2.79 [95% CI: 1.92-5.03, P =0.003]; OR: 2.89 [95% CI: 1.32-6.03, P =0.001]; respectively). Relative to RA PCI for ostial or stumpless CTO, the antegrade-only approach is utilized for less complex CTO lesions and is associated with a diminished probability of in-hospital MACE.

Incidence, mechanisms, treatment, and outcomes of donor vessel injury during percutaneous coronary interventions for chronic total occlusion.

Donor vessel injury is a potentially life-threatening complication of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Our goal was to examine the incidence, mechanisms, treatment, and outcomes of patients with donor vessel injury in a large multicenter CTO PCI registry. We analyzed the baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics, and procedural outcomes of 12,349 CTO PCIs performed between 2012 and 2022 at 44 centers. The incidence of donor vessel injury was 0.35% (n = 43). The baseline clinical characteristics of patients with and without donor vessel injury were similar. Cases complicated by donor vessel injury were more complex with higher Japanese CTO score (2.9 ± 1.1 vs. 2.4 ± 1.3; p = 0.004) and lower procedural success rate (69.8% vs. 85.2%; p = 0.004). The retrograde approach was used more commonly in donor vessel injury cases (68.9% vs. 30.9%; p < 0.001). Most (53.5%) donor vessel injuries were guide catheter-induced, whereas 20.9% were due to donor vessel thrombosis. Of the 43 patients with donor vessel injury, 36 (83.7%) were treated with stenting and seven (16.3%) received a left ventricular assist device. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) was significantly higher in cases with donor vessel injury (23.3% vs. 2.0%; p < 0.001). Of the 43 patients with donor vessel injury, five patients (11.6%) experienced acute myocardial infarction and four patients (9.3%) died. Donor vessel injury, occurred in 0.35% of CTO PCIs performed by experienced operators, was mainly due to guide catheter-induced dissection or thrombosis and was associated with lower procedural success and higher MACE.

Procedural Time and Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) can be lengthy procedures. We sought to investigate the effect of procedural time on CTO PCI outcomes. We examined the procedural time required for the various steps of CTO PCI in 6,442 CTO PCIs at 40 US and non-US centers between 2012 and 2022. The mean and median procedure times were 129 ± 76 and 112minutes, respectively, with no significant change over time. The median times from access to wire insertion, guidewire manipulation time, and post crossing were 20, 32, and 53minutes, respectively. Lesions crossed in <30minutes were less complex, as reflected by lower Japanese CTO score (1.89 ± 1.19, p <0.001) than lesions that were not successfully crossed (2.88 ± 1.22) and lesions that were crossed in ≥30minutes (2.85 ± 1.13). The likelihood of successful crossing if crossing was not achieved after 30, 90, and 180minutes were a 76.7%, 60.7%, and 42.7%, respectively. The parameters independently associated with ≥30minutes guidewire manipulation time in patients with a primary antegrade approach included left anterior descending target vessel, proximal cap ambiguity, blunt/no stump, occlusion length, previous failed attempt, medium/severe calcification, and medium/severe tortuosity. The mean duration of CTO PCI is approximately 2hours (∼20% of time for access to wire insertion, ∼30% wire manipulation time, and ∼50% postwiring time). Guidewire crossing time was shorter in less complex lesions and in cases without complications.

Impact of target vessel on the procedural techniques and outcomes of chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention.

There is limited information on the impact of the target vessel on the procedural techniques and outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We analyzed the baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of 11,580 CTO PCIs performed between 2012 and 2022 at 44 centers. The most common CTO target vessel was the right coronary artery (RCA) (53.1%) followed by the left anterior descending artery (LAD) (26.0%) and the left circumflex artery (LCX) (19.8%). RCA CTOs were longer and more complex, with a higher Japanese CTO score compared with LAD or LCX CTOs. Technical success was higher among LAD (88.8%) lesions when compared with RCA (85.7%) or LCX (85.8%) lesions (P less than .001). The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was overall 1.9% (n = 220) and was similar among target vessels (P=.916). There was a tendency toward more frequent utilization of the retrograde approach for more proximal occlusions in all 3 target vessels. When compared with all other RCA lesions combined, distal RCA lesions had higher technical success (87.7% vs 85.3%; P=.048). Technical success was similar between various locations of LAD CTOs (P=.704). First/second/third obtuse marginal branch had lower technical success when compared with all other LCX lesion locations (82.7% vs 86.8%; P=.014). There was no association between MACE and CTO location in all 3 target vessels. LAD CTO PCIs had higher technical and procedural success rates among target vessels. The incidence of MACE was similar among target vessels and among various locations within the target vessel.

Postdischarge prognostic significance of periprocedural myocardial injury after percutaneous intervention of chronic total occlusion

BackgroundThe postdischarge prognostic implication of periprocedural myocardial injury in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of a chronic total occlusion (CTO) remains scarcely studied.AimsThe aim of this study is to...

Performance of the J-CTO score versus other risk scores for predicting procedural difficulty in coronary chronic total occlusion interventions

Background Although the Japanese chronic total occlusion (J-CTO) score is widely used to assess the complexity of revascularization for CTO lesions, ambiguous and conflicting results are reported in validation studies. Therefore, we aimed to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the J-CTO score and explore the heterogeneity of its comparison with other CTO scores. Methods PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases were systematically searched from January 1st, 2011 to December 23rd, 2021. Studies that examined the accuracy of the J-CTO score were eligible. Where feasible, estimates of discrimination and calibration were pooled with a random-effects model. The Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST) was used for risk-of-bias assessment. This study was reported according to PRISMA guidelines and prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42019126161). Results Of 28 included studies (N = 34,944 lesions), 24 were eligible for meta-analysis. The J-CTO score demonstrated significant discrimination for 30-min wire crossing (summary C-statistic 0.76; 95% CI 0.68–0.84) and technical success (0.68; 95% CI 0.61–0.74) despite significant heterogeneity. Only 19 (33%) of the 58 pairwise comparisons with 14 competing scores that were based on discrimination reported a statistical result. The J-CTO score performed worse (relative difference of C-statistics >5%) in eight out of 33 independent comparisons but better in another 13. Methodological shortcomings resulted from only one study evaluating model calibration appropriately. Conclusion The discrimination power of the J-CTO score was useful for time-efficient wire crossing and moderate for angiographic success. Head-to-head comparisons of CTO scores would benefit from standardized reporting and appropriate statistical methods. Key messages The J-CTO score has useful discrimination in predicting 30-min wire crossing while performing moderately for technical success. After excluding optimism bias, there is insufficient independent evidence supporting the superiority of newly introduced models over the J-CTO score. Standardized methodology and assessment are needed to achieve a better understanding of CTO scores, especially for their calibration.

On-line estimated peak skin dose during percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion using new patient dose mapping technology

X-ray exposure during complex percutaneous coronary intervention is a very important issue. To reduce patient peak skin dose during percutaneous coronary intervention procedures for chronic total occlusion using on-line estimated peak skin dose software (Dose Map). Throughout the procedure, Dose Map provided a map of local cumulative peak skin dose. This map was displayed in-room from 1Gy cumulative air kerma, and was updated every 0.5Gy. The operator's actions to minimize deterministic risks following map notification were collected. Skin reaction was evaluated 3 months after the procedure. A comparison with our historical X-ray exposure data (207 patients from January 2013 to July 2014) was performed. From November 2015 to October 2016, 97 patients (Japanese chronic total occlusion score 2.1±1.1; 100 percutaneous coronary intervention procedures for chronic total occlusion) were prospectively enrolled. Fluoroscopy time was 40.8 (21.6-60.3) minutes, cumulative air kerma 1884 (1144-3231) mGy, estimated peak skin dose 962 (604-1474) mGy and kerma area product 115.8 (71.5-206.7) Gy.cm2. Cumulative air kerma was>3Gy in 28% of cases, and>5Gy in 11% of cases. In 68% of cases, at least one action was taken by the operator after map notification to optimize skin dose distribution. Main changes included: gantry angulation (52%); field of view (25%); and collimation (13%). No skin injuries were observed at follow-up. In comparison with our chronic total occlusion historical radiation data, median cumulative air kerma and kerma area product were reduced by 31% and 33%, respectively (P<0.005. Online skin dose mapping software allows the distribution of patient skin dose during complex percutaneous coronary intervention procedures, and may minimize X-ray exposure.

Collagenase to facilitate guidewire crossing in chronic total occlusion PCI—The Total Occlusion Study in Coronary Arteries‐5 (TOSCA‐5) trial

Chronic total occlusions (CTO) are common and are associated with lower percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) success rates, often due to failure of antegrade guidewire crossing. Local, intralesional delivery of collagenase (MZ-004) may facilitate guidewire crossing in CTO. To evaluate the effect of MZ-004 in facilitating antegrade wire crossing in CTO angioplasty. A total of 76 patients undergoing CTO PCI were enrolled at 13 international sites: 38 in the randomized training stage (collagenase [MZ-004] 900 or 1200 μg) and 38 in the placebo-controlled stage (MZ-004 900 or 1200 μg or placebo). Patients received the MZ-004 or identical volume saline (placebo group) in a double-blind design, injected via microcatheter directly into the proximal cap of the CTO. The following day patients underwent CTO PCI using antegrade wire techniques only. Patients were generally similar except for a trend for higher Japanese chronic total occlusion (J-CTO) score in the MZ-004 group (MZ-004 J-CTO score 1.9 vs. 1.4, p = 0.07). There was a numerical increase in the rates of guidewire crossing in the MZ-004 groups compared to placebo (74% vs. 63%, p = 0.52). Guidewire crossing with a soft-tip guidewire (≤1.5 g tip load) was significantly higher in the MZ-004 groups (0% in placebo, 17% in 900 μg, and 29% in 1200 μg MZ-004 group, p = 0.03). Rates of the major adverse cardiovascular event were similar between groups. Local delivery of MZ-004 into coronary CTOs appears safe and may facilitate CTO crossing, particularly with softer tipped guidewires. These data support the development of a pivotal trial to further evaluate this agent.

Ischemic Burden Assessment Using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography in Single Vessel Chronic Total Occlusion of Coronary Artery.

Studies evaluating the nature of ischemic burden of chronic total occlusion (CTO) vessels are still lacking. A total of 165 patients with single vessel CTO >2.5 mm in an epicardial coronary artery who underwent single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were enrolled in the study. Ischemic burden was calculated with the use of semi-quantitative SPECT analysis, and was defined as the summed difference score (SDS) divided by the maximal limit of the score (=SDS/68). The mean age of the participants was 59.5 years and the CTO of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), left circumplex coronary artery (LCX), and right coronary artery (RCA) accounted for 93 (56.4%), 18 (10.9%), and 54 (32.7%) patients, respectively. The median ischemic burden of the total population was 8.8%, and it was highest in the LAD CTO (10.3%) compared with the LCX (5.9%) and RCA CTO (5.9%, p<0.001). High-ischemic burden (ischemic burden >10%) was observed in 66 patients (40.0%), and in 47 patients (50.5%) of the LAD CTO. Ischemic burden was different according to the CTO location only in LAD CTO. The statistically significant predictors for high-ischemic burden were hypertension, baseline ejection fraction >45%, LAD CTO, proximal CTO location, and de novo CTO. Japanese-CTO score and Rentrop scale collateral grade were not associated with high-ischemic burden. Only 40% of patients with single vessel CTO had ischemic burden >10%. For CTO vessels, measurement of ischemic burden using SPECT prior to revascularization may be helpful in identifying beneficial subjects.

Primary versus rescue retrograde approach for chronic total coronary occlusion.

We aimed to assess the advantages of using the retrograde approach as an initial strategy rather than as a rescue strategy for complex chronic total occlusions (CTOs). Even for complex CTOs where a retrograde approach is deemed necessary, an antegrade approach is frequently used as an initial strategy in real-world practice. We evaluated 352 retrograde procedures for CTO conducted at our high-volume center between January 2007 and January 2019. Procedural efficiency and safety was assessed based on the guidewire manipulation time (GWMT) and the occurrence of procedure-related adverse events for the primary retrograde approach (PRA) and the rescue retrograde approach (RRA). PRA and RRA were used in 191 (54.3%) and 161 (45.7%) of the CTO procedures, respectively. The complexity of the CTO lesion was significantly higher in the PRA group than in the RRA group (Japanese-CTO score, 2.62 ± 1.07 vs. 2.38 ± 1.06, p=0.037). The technical success rate of two groups was similar (p=0.47). The median GWMT required for PRA was significantly shorter than that for RRA (85 [interquartile range, 55-126] vs. 120 [85-157] min, p < 0.001). The total duration of the procedure and fluoroscopic time were shorter, and the number of guidewires and amount of contrast used during the index procedure were smaller in the PRA group. The incidence of procedure-related adverse events was not significantly different between the two groups. PRA showed higher procedural efficiency than RRA with comparable safety. Opting for PRA for complex CTOs might be a rational decision to enhance the procedural efficiency.

Feasibility and Safety of Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention via Distal Transradial Access.

Aims: The current study aims to verify the feasibility and safety of chronic total occlusion (CTO)-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) via the distal transradial access (dTRA).Methods: Between April 2017 and December 2019, 298 patients who underwent CTO PCI via dTRA were enrolled in this study. The baseline demographic and procedural characteristics were listed and compared between groups. The incidences of access-site vascular complications and procedural complications and mortality were recorded.Results: The mean J-CTO (Japanese chronic total occlusion) score was 2.6 ± 0.9 points. The mean access time was 4.6 ± 2.9 min, and the mean procedure time was 115.9 ± 55.6 min. Left radial snuffbox access was performed successfully in 286 patients (96.5%), and right radial snuffbox access was performed successfully in 133 patients (97.7%). Bilateral radial snuffbox access was performed in 107 patients (35.9%). 400 dTRA (95.5%) received glidesheath for CTO intervention. Two patients (0.7%) developed severe access-site vascular complications. None of the patients experienced severe radial artery spasm and only 2 patients (0.5%) developed radial artery occlusion during the follow-up period. The overall procedural success rate was 93.5%. The procedural success rate was 96.5% in patients with antegrade approach and 87.7% in patients with retrograde approach.Conclusions: It is both safe and feasible to use dTRA plus Glidesheath for complex CTO intervention. The incidences of procedure-related complications and severe access-site vascular complications, and distal radial artery occlusion were low.

Reattempt Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Chronic Total Occlusions after Prior Failures: A Single-Center Analysis of Strategies and Outcomes.

Objective The initial recanalization rate of coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) is >85% when performed by experienced operators, but only 10% of prior failed CTO patients receive reattempted recanalization. This retrospective study analyzed the success rate and strategies used in reattempt percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of CTOs after prior failures. Methods Overall, 206 patients with 212 CTOs were enrolled. All patients with prior recanalization failures received reattempt PCIs from January 2015 to March 2019 at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Data on clinical factors (age, sex, comorbidities, left ventricular ejection fraction, history of cigarette usage, and revascularization), angiographic characteristics of CTOs (target lesion, Japanese Chronic Total Occlusion (J-CTO) score, the morphology of CTO lesions, and collateral channel scale), strategies (procedural approach and use of devices), and major adverse events were obtained and analyzed. Results The mean age of enrolled patients was 60.96 ± 12.36 years, with a male predominance of 90.3%. Of the patients, 47.1% had a prior myocardial infarction and 70.4% underwent stent implantation previously, while the in-stent occlusion rate was 6.6%. CTOs were primarily localized in the left anterior descending artery (43.9%) and the right coronary artery (43.9%). 80.7% of lesions were classified as very difficult (J-CTO score ≥3), and the overall success rate was 81.1%. In multivariable regression analysis, J-CTO score, collateral channel scale, application of coronary multispiral computed tomography angiography, dual injection, intravascular ultrasound, active greeting technique, parallel wiring, and CTO morphology were predictors of recanalization success. There were no significant differences in rates of procedural complications between the final recanalization success and failure groups. Conclusions Recanalization of complex CTOs is associated with high success rate and low complication rates when performed by high-volume CTO operators and after multiple reattempts.

Angiographic Scoring System for Predicting Successful Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of In-Stent Chronic Total Occlusion.

The purpose of this study was to develop a scoring model to predict the technical success of recanalizing via antegrade approach in-stent chronic total occlusion (IS-CTO) by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We retrospectively collected data from 474 patients who underwent an uneasy IS-CTO PCI via antegrade approach from January 2015 to December 2018, consecutively. We selected clinical and angiographic factors and utilized a derivation and validation cohort (4:1 sampling ratio) analysis. Factors with strong correlations with technical failure, according to multivariable analysis, were assigned 1 point, and a scoring system with a 4-point maximum was established. The model was then validated with a validation cohort. The overall procedural success rate was 77.4%. On multivariable analysis, the factors that correlated with technical failure were proximal bending (beta coefficient [β] = 2.142), tortuosity (β= 2.622), stent under expansion (β = 3.052), and poor distal landing zone (β = 2.004). The IS-CTO score demonstrated good calibration and excellent predicting capacity in the derivation (receiver-operator characteristic [ROC] area = 0.973 and Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-squared = 5.252; p = 0.072) and validation (ROC area = 0.976 and Hosmer-Lemeshow chi-squared = 0.916; p = 0.632) cohorts. In the validation subset, the IS-CTO score demonstrated superior performance to the Japanese chronic total occlusion score (J-CTO) and PROGRESS CTO scores for predicting technical success (area under the a curve [AUC] 0.976 vs. 0.642 vs. 0.579, respectively; difference in AUC between the IS-CTO score and J-CTO score = 0.334, p < 0.01; difference in AUC between the IS-CTO score and PROGRESS score = 0.397, p < 0.01). Our results suggest that the IS-CTO score system is a helpful tool to predict the technical success of IS-CTO PCI via antegrade approach in china. Graphical Abstract.

A prospective evaluation of a redefined version of the "minimalistic hybrid approach" algorithm for percutaneous coronary chronic total occlusion revascularization.

Aim of this study is to prospectively assess the feasibility of the "Minimalistic Hybrid Approach" (MHA) algorithm for chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We recently described the MHA, with focus on the classic hybrid strategies (antegrade wire escalation [AWE] or retrograde wire escalation [RWE], antegrade dissection-re-entry [ADR] or retrograde dissection-re-entry [RDR]), and also on access site (favoring "wrist" approach: radial, ulnar, and distal radial), introducer French size (favoring 6 French catheters) and nonroutine initial use of dual injection. The MHA was prospectively attempted in 56 consecutive CTO PCI in 54 patients. Technical success was defined as the achievement of TIMI 3 antegrade flow with residual stenosis <30%, procedural success was defined as technical success without in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events. Mean Japanese-CTO (J-CTO) score was 2.04 ± 0.95(J-CTO score ≥ 3 in 30.4%). The lesion-based technical and procedural success were 94.6%(53/56:three failures, two in the same patient) and 91.1%(51/56:three failures, one tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis and one periprocedural infarction), the patient-based successes were: technical 98.1%(53/54) and procedural 94.4%(51/54). In 34 procedures (60.7%), the approach was single catheter (always trans-wrist besides one femoral). Out of the 22(39.3%) lesions approached with dual catheters, one was bi-femoral, the rest was bi-wrist. In 29 cases (51.8%) AWE represented the successful technique, ADR in 5(8.9%) and retrograde in 19(33.9%); 3(5.4%) were failures. The current study shows that the MHA algorithm is feasible in almost every CTO lesion and it can lead to extremely successful results once applied by operators well acquainted with the wrist approach and with established experience using the full spectrum of the hybrid algorithm techniques.

The Impact of Peripheral Artery Disease in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (Insights From PROGRESS-CTO Registry).

The impact of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in patients undergoing chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has received limited study. We reviewed 3999 CTO PCIs performed in 3914 patients between 2012 and 2018 at 25 centers, 14% of whom had a history of PAD. We compared the clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of patients with versus without history of PAD. Patients with PAD were older (67 ± 9 vs 64 ± 10 years, P < .001) and had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. They also had more complex lesions as illustrated by higher Japanese CTO score (2.7 ± 1.2 vs 2.4 ± 1.3, P < .001). In patients with PAD, the final crossing technique was less often antegrade wire escalation (40% vs 51%, P < .001) and more often the retrograde approach (23 vs 20%, P < .001) and antegrade dissection/reentry (20% vs 16%, P < .001). Technical success was similar between the 2 study groups (84% vs 87%, P = .127), but procedural success was lower for patients with PAD (81% vs 85%, P = .015). The incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events was higher among patients with PAD (3% vs 2%, P = .046). In conclusion, patients with PAD undergoing CTO PCI have more comorbidities, more complex lesions, and lower procedural success.

A Novel Algorithm for Treating Chronic Total Coronary Artery Occlusion

BackgroundGuidewire manipulation time is rarely used in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategies. ObjectivesThis study sought to develop an algorithm based on angiographic characteristics and guidewire manipulation time. MethodsThis study assessed 5,843 patients undergoing CTO PCI between January 2014 and December 2017 and enrolled in the Japanese CTO-PCI expert registry and analyzed their CTO-PCI strategies, procedural outcomes, and guidewire manipulation time. ResultsPrimary retrograde approach was performed on 1,562 patients. The average Japanese CTO score of primary antegrade approach and primary retrograde approach were 1.7 ± 1.1 and 2.3 ± 1.1, respectively (p < 0.001). The overall guidewire and technical success rates were 92.8% and 90.6%, respectively. Median guidewire manipulation time of guidewire success and failure were 56 min (interquartile range [IQR]: 22 to 111 min) and 176 min (IQR: 130 to 229 min), respectively. Median successful guidewire crossing time of single wiring and parallel wiring in the antegrade alone were 23 min (IQR: 11 to 44 min) and 60 min (IQR: 36 to 97 min), and rescue retrograde approach and primary retrograde approach were 126 min (IQR: 87 to 174 min) and 107 min (IQR: 70 to 161 min), respectively (p < 0.001). Significant predictors for antegrade guidewire failure in primary antegrade approach, which were reattempt, CTO length of ≥20 mm, and no stump, did not predict guidewire failure after collateral channel crossing in primary retrograde approach. ConclusionsResults from a large registry with information on guidewire manipulation time as well as CTO characteristics suggest a redefinition of the current strategy algorithms.