Outcomes of Percutaneous Coronary Interventions for Chronic Total Occlusion Performed by Highly Experienced Japanese Specialists: The First Report From the Japanese CTO-PCI Expert Registry

Abstract

Objectives: This report describes the registry and presents an initial analysis of outcomes for the different PCI approaches taken by the specialists.

Background: Strategies for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) are complex. The Japanese Board of CTO Interventional Specialists has developed a prospective, nonrandomized registry of patients undergoing CTO-PCIs performed by 41 highly experienced Japanese specialists.

Methods: Over the study period of January 2014 to December 2015, the registry included 2,846 consecutive CTO-PCI cases undertaken in Japan. The authors compared clinical outcomes between the different PCI approaches, following the intention-to-treat principle.

Results: The overall technical success rate of the procedures was 89.9%. The specialists frequently chose a retrograde approach as the primary CTO-PCI strategy (in 27.8% of cases). The technical success rate of the primary antegrade approach was significantly better than that of the primary retrograde approach (91.0% vs. 87.3%; p < 0.0001). The technical success rate decreased to 78.0% with the rescue retrograde approach. Parallel guidewire crossing and intravascular ultrasound-guided wire crossing were performed after guidewire escalation during antegrade CTO-PCI with a high technical success rate (75.0% to 88.9%). Severe lesion calcification was a strong predictor of failed CTO-PCI.

Conclusions: CTO-PCI performed by highly experienced specialists achieved a high technical success rate.

Keywords: chronic total occlusion; percutaneous coronary intervention; retrograde approach.