ABSTRACT
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of coronary stenoses has undergone dramatic evolution since its inception in 1977 and has become the dominant method of coronary revascularization in contemporary practice. A preprocedural cardiac computed tomography (CT) scan may provide useful information for selecting patients suitable for PCI of Chronic total occlusions or may be helpful for designing a dedicated therapeutic strategy. Magnetic navigation represents a novel technology that has been introduced within the field of interventional cardiology with the aim of improving procedural success in coronary lesions with tortuous vessel anatomy and/or complex morphology. The CT images may assist in the selection of a more targeted interventional strategy, for example the use of an ablative technique or very stiff penetrative wire in severely calcified occlusions, or may facilitate the operator steering the guidewire in the direction of the distal vessel beyond the occlusion.
