title: The Anchor-Tornus technique: a novel approach to "uncrossable" chronic total occlusions.
abstract: Following successful guidewire passage, inability to cross a chronic total occlusion is the most frequent cause of procedural failure. While low-profile balloons, microcatheters, and specialty catheters such as the Tornus have been designed to facilitate lesion crossing, these devices require adequate guiding catheter support. We describe a novel application of the Tornus catheter combined with a balloon-anchored guide technique to successfully recanalize an otherwise difficult to cross chronic total occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Medical Center and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Ajay J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kirtane
authors.forename: Gregg W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Stone
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D054059:Coronary Occlusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency