ABSTRACT
Total chronic occlusions present unique challenges. The symptomatic benefits of success are often very great but even in the most competent hands they have a considerably lower procedural success rate than perhaps any other lesion type in intervention. Even angiographic features that predict success to one cardiologist may not to another! Procedure strategy, especially choice of guide catheter, guidewire and balloon are considered to be critical factors. There has been a considerable body of data published recently to suggest unequivocal benefit for the stenting of a successfully angioplastied chronically occluded segment.
