Primary percutaneous coronary intervention of native chronic total occlusions to treat ST elevation myocardial infarction secondary to acute vein graft occlusion.

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the treatment modality of choice in patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Clinical outcomes have dramatically improved with the wide adoption of primary PCI in patients with STEMI because of acute thrombotic native coronary artery occlusion. However, patients with prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery who present with STEMI because of acute saphenous vein graft (SVG) occlusion continue to have worse outcomes because of poor acute and long-term results of SVG stenting. Therefore, it may be preferable to treat the native coronary artery supplied by the occluded graft although this can be challenging if the native vessel is a chronic total occlusion (CTO). Recent advances in technology and techniques in CTO PCI have significantly improved the success rate and efficiency of CTO procedures. At our institution we have developed a high volume CTO programme with high success rates. We present three cases of acute inferior STEMI because of SVG occlusion which were treated with successful retrograde PCI of the native vessel CTO, utilising the occluded graft as a retrograde channel in two cases and native septal collaterals in the other. Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 3 flow in the native coronary artery was achieved in all three cases with good acute outcomes. Our case series highlights the benefits of a high volume CTO programme. With recent advances in CTO techniques, acute PCI to native vessel CTO is feasible and may be the treatment of choice in selected cases of acute SVG failure. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The utility of a guideliner™ catheter in retrograde percutaneous coronary intervention of a chronic total occlusion with reverse cart-the "capture" technique.

The hybrid approach to percutaneous treatment of chronic total occlusion (CTO) of coronary arteries requires both antegrade and retrograde skillsets. In the retrograde approach, wire externalization through the antegrade guide catheter often requires the use of a short donor guide catheter and a long (>150 cm) micro-catheter. Despite this there are occasions where the micro-catheter is unable to reach the anterograde guide catheter because of long collateral channels particularly when the retrograde limb involves a bypass graft. We report such a case where retrograde intervention was used to treat a right coronary artery (RCA) CTO in a patient with stable angina. The retrograde limb involved a saphenous vein graft to the native circumflex artery, which in turn provided collateral channels to the distal RCA. After performing reverse controlled anterograde and retrograde sub-intimal tracking (CART), the retrograde micro-catheter was only able to reach the mid RCA. To solve this, a Guideliner™ catheter was passed on the antegrade wire and successfully advanced over and "captured" the retrograde micro-catheter. Wire externalization was then completed and the RCA was subsequently stented with a good final angiographic result. This case illustrates a novel approach to completing wire externalization and provides a further indication for the role of the Guideliner™ catheter in treating CTOs.

Recanalizing left anterior descending artery chronic total occlusion with reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde tracking technology through epicardial collateral.

During recent years, the reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde tracking (CART) technique has become the dominant retrograde wire crossing technique. When the retrograde guiding wire cannot pass the occlusive lesions or the guiding wire is difficult to kiss, the reverse CART technique can significantly shorten the operation time and greatly improve the success rate of the operation. In this case we succeeded in recanalizing a chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesion with reverse CART for a patient diagnosed with old myocardial infarction (OMI).

Successful contemporary reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde subintimal tracking without contrast medium: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury is one of the common adverse events related to percutaneous coronary intervention and a predictor for worse outcome. In the setting of percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion, large amounts of contrast medium, more than 200-400 mL, are generally injected. A higher dose of contrast medium causes contrast-induced acute kidney injury more frequently. Therefore, patients who undergo chronic total occlusion-percutaneous coronary intervention are at risk for contrast-induced acute kidney injury. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 77-year-old Japanese man with post-acute myocardial infarction angina pectoris, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion in his right coronary artery. In the procedure, the retrograde wire was a visible penetration mark that made contrast medium unnecessary. Contemporary reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde subintimal tracking was successfully achieved and stents were implanted without contrast medium. Contrast medium was injected two times after stent implantation to confirm coronary flow and no perforation. The total amount of contrast medium was only 8 mL for chronic total occlusion-percutaneous coronary intervention. CONCLUSION: Chronic total occlusion-percutaneous coronary intervention with contemporary reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde subintimal tracking without contrast medium may be safe and feasible in selected patients.

Unraveling the mystique of CTO Interventions: Tips and techniques of using hardware to achieve success.

The scientific discourse of chronic total occlusions interventions is mired in a technical jargon so confusing that it prevents an average interventional cardiologist from pursuing this field so much so that it has become a domain of a few. This review attempts to simplify this vernacular and present it in a manner that this procedure comes within the scope of a mainstream interventionist.

Retrograde approach via left internal mammary artery using a 5 Fr guiding catheter.

A 64-year-old female, who had undergone CABG previously, was admitted to our hospital because of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction with acute heart failure. The SVG-RCA was judged the culprit vessel because of the angiographical thrombus. However, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the SVG-RCA had a high risk of distal embolism and might have had caused critical slow flow. Primary PCI to the native right coronary artery (RCA) with retrograde approach using the septal channel from left anterior descending artery bypassed by LIMA was successfully performed. A 5 Fr JR-4.0 guiding catheter was deeply engaged to the mid part of LIMA following the microcatheter, and the wire finally reached the distal part of RCA.

Chronic total occlusions - Current techniques and future directions.

Chronic total occlusions (CTOs) of coronary arteries represent a common and significant challenge to interventional cardiology. Medical therapy is often regarded as an adequate long term strategy in the management of these lesions with surgical intervention for refractory symptoms. Extensive collateralisation is used as a marker of distal coronary perfusion, further reinforcing non-invasive strategies. This together with relatively low percutaneous success rates outside of specialised centres has meant that rates of percutaneous intervention have remained low. Increasing evidence suggests that CTOs are not a benign entity. Further, symptom control and quality of life improve significantly with successful percutaneous revascularisation. Both factors have reignited interest in percutaneous modalities. The Japanese have been pioneers in the field of CTO intervention although their success rates have been difficult to replicate. New techniques and equipment developed in North America offer an alternative to the Japanese approach. These techniques focus on time, radiation and contrast minimisation. This review will assess the histopathology of CTO and shifting paradigms in CTO treatment strategies.

Retrograde Dissection Reentry for Coronary Chronic Total Occlusions.

The retrograde technique is an important aspect to overall success in percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total occlusions. The reverse controlled antegrade and retrograde subintimal tracking technique is the most commonly used retrograde approach for recanalization as either a primary approach or after unsuccessful antegrade dissection reentry. A stepwise approach to this technique is the key to success.