title: Clinical, electrocardiographic, and procedural characteristics of patients with coronary chronic total occlusions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion lesions is technically difficult despite equipment advances. Changes in electrocardiographic patterns, such as Q and T waves, during chronic total occlusion can provide information about procedural success and myocardial viability. In this study, we investigated clinical, electrocardiographic, and procedural characteristics of chronic total occlusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (2,635) who underwent coronary angiography between January 2006 and July 2007 at six Catholic University Hospitals were identified using a dedicated Internet database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 195 patients had total occlusion lesions (7.4%). Percutaneous coronary interventions were attempted in 136 total occlusion lesions (66.0%) in 134 patients. Successful recanalization with stent implantation was accomplished in 89 lesions, with a procedural success rate of 66.4%. One procedure-related death occurred because of no-reflow phenomenon. After excluding 8 patients with bundle branch block, Q and T wave inversions were observed in 60 (32.1%) and 78 patients (41.7%), respectively. The presence of Q waves was associated with severe angina, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction, regional wall motion abnormality, and T wave inversion, but was not related to procedural success.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous coronary intervention is a safe and useful procedure for the revascularization of coronary chronic total occlusion lesions. The procedural success rate was not related to the presence of pathologic Q waves, which were associated with severe angina and decreased left ventricular function.
authors: Department of Cardiology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Chan Seok
authors: CS
authors: Park
authors: Hee-Yeol
authors: HY
authors: Kim
authors: Hun-Jun
authors: HJ
authors: Park
authors: Sang-Hyun
authors: SH
authors: Ihm
authors: Dong-Bin
authors: DB
authors: Kim
authors: Jong-Min
authors: JM
authors: Lee
authors: Pum-Jun
authors: PJ
authors: Kim
authors: Chul-Soo
authors: CS
authors: Park
authors: Keon-Woong
authors: KW
authors: Moon
authors: Ki-Dong
authors: KD
authors: Yoo
authors: Doo-Soo
authors: DS
authors: Jeon
authors: Wook-Seong
authors: WS
authors: Chung
authors: Ki Bae
authors: KB
authors: Seung
authors: Jae-Hyung
authors: JH
authors: Kim