title: [Chronic total occlusion: the last frontier of the interventional cardiology?].
abstract: Recanalization of chronic total occlusion remains a challenge for the interventional cardiologist and accounts for 10-20% of all angioplasty procedures in high-volume catheterization laboratories. During the last few years, development in guidewires and devices as well as the emergence of new techniques from japanese centers resulted in a higher success rates in experienced operator's hands. The impact of drug eluting stents on restenosis has improved longterm outcome after chronic total occlusion successfull recanalization. This procedure requires time, patience from the operator and does also expose the patient to increased radiation and contrast administrations. In symptomatic patients, when recanalization is successful, the clinical outcome and the event free survival are improved.
authors.affiliation: Institut de cardiologie de Montréal, 5000, rue Bélanger, Montreal. caroline.frangos@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Frangos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bilodeau
mesh_terms: D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans