AUTHOR=Cilia Lindsey , Megaly Michael , Davies Rhian , Tehrani Behnam N. , Batchelor Wayne B. , Truesdell Alexander G. 

TITLE=A non-interventional cardiologist’s guide to coronary chronic total occlusions

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cardiovascular-medicine/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2024.1350549

DOI=10.3389/fcvm.2024.1350549

ISSN=2297-055X

ABSTRACT=<p>Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) are present in up to one-third of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). It is thus essential for all clinical cardiologists to possess a basic awareness and understanding of CTOs, including optimal evaluation and management. While percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for CTO lesions has many similarities to non-CTO PCI, there are important considerations pertaining to pre-procedural evaluation, interventional techniques, procedural complications, and post-procedure management and follow-up unique to patients undergoing this highly specialized intervention. Distinct from other existing topical reviews, the current manuscript focuses on key knowledge relevant to non-interventional cardiologists.</p>