Short- and Long-Term Follow-up of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion through Transradial Approach: Tips for Successful Procedure from a Single-Center Experience

Objective: To assess the feasibility and safety of transradial coronary intervention (TRI) for CTO lesions, we analyzed our experience in PCI treatment of CTO lesion through transradial approach for the past 6 years. Methods: From January 2003 to May 2009, among 134 CTO lesions, on which we performed PCI, 120 lesions were performed from transradial approach. Results: Technical success for transradial CTO was 80%. Complication of access bleeding was zero. The most commonly selected guiding wire was Wave 3 for right coronary artery (RCA) lesions (82%) and Voda left for Left Coronary Artery (LCA) lesions (91%). The average number of wires used during procedure was 2.2 +/- 0.8. Tapered wire was used in 8% of the cases, Rotablator was performed in 4.1% of cases, and Tornus catheter was performed in 12.5% of cases. The mean procedure time was 83 +/- 39 minutes. The mean volume of contrast medium used was 228 +/- 92 mL. There were two coronary artery perforations during procedure and one in-hospital cardiac death. Patients were followed up for 36 +/- 21 months; restenosis rate was 19.5%-26.7% for bare metal stent (BMS) and 9.8% for drug-eluting stents (DES). Overall major adverse cardiac events (MACE) rate was 11.7%. Conclusion: It was demonstrated that transradial PCI for CTO lesions is safe, minimizing vascular complications without increasing procedural time and contrast use. (J Interven Cardiol 2011;24:137-143).