Antegrade dissection and re-entry versus parallel wiring in chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention: Insights from the PROGRESS-CTO registry

Background The comparative efficacy and safety of parallel wiring versus antegrade dissection and re-entry (ADR) in chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is controversial. Methods We compared the clinical and angiographic characteristics and outcomes of parallel wiring versus ADR after failed antegrade wiring in a large, multicenter CTO PCI registry. Results A total of 1725 CTO PCI procedures with failed antegrade wiring with a single wire were approached with parallel wiring (692) or ADR (1033) at the discretion of the operator. ADR patients were older (65 +/- 10 vs. 62 +/- 10, years, p < 0.001) and had higher prevalence of comorbidities, such as diabetes mellitus (43% vs. 32%, p < 0.001), prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (31% vs. 19%, p < 0.001), and lower left ventricular ejection fraction (50 +/- 14 vs. 53 +/- 11%, p < 0.001). The ADR group had higher J-CTO (2.8 +/- 1.1 vs. 2.1 +/- 1.3, p < 0.001) and PROGRESS-CTO (1.6 +/- 1.1 vs. 1.2 +/- 1.0, p < 0.001) scores. Equipment use including guidewires, balloons, and microcatheters was higher, and the procedures lasted longer in the ADR group. Technical success (78% vs. 75%, p = 0.046) and major adverse cardiovascular events (composite of all-cause mortality, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, emergency surgery or re-PCI, and pericardiocentesis) (3.7% vs. 1.9%, p = 0.029) were higher in the ADR group, with similar procedural success (75% vs. 73%, p = 0.166). Conclusion In lesions that could not be crossed with antegrade wiring, ADR was associated with higher technical but not procedural success, and also higher MACE compared with parallel wiring.