title: Retrograde chronic total occlusion intervention: tips and tricks.
abstract: Retrograde approach via collateral channels in coronary angioplasty for chronic total occlusion (CTO) can improve the success rate. Most interventionists will meet a few cases where the retrograde approach will provide unequaled advantages, but many are held back from taking retrograde approach by lack of proper equipment and expertise. In this article, we give detail description of techniques to shorten the guiding catheter, to traverse the collateral channels, and to cross the CTO. We also illustrate the difficulties in collateral channel crossing with different examples providing a basic guide for case selection purposes. We hope that many others would find rewardingly successful cases of retrograde approach CTO percutaneous coronary intervention, as in our experience.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. ebwu@netvigator.com
authors.forename: Eugene B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wilson W M
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Cheuk Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D054059:Coronary Occlusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D016896:Treatment Outcome