Take-home Message
Dr Yamane concluded the session by emphasising the key messages. Patients with CTO and significant ischemia are at risk of MACE and have a clear indication for PCI. In terms of CTO and multi-vessel disease, timing is important, and much depends on whether complete revascularization can be achieved, the available equipment and expertise of the operator. It is important to be strict in terms of activated clotting time (ACT) monitoring and to be flexible in strategy selectıon; it is frequently necessary to switch strategies durıng the procedure. Safety and long-term outcomes should always be the priority in any procedure. In terms of stent selection, once the vessel is open in a CTO, it is essential to use thin-strut biodegradable polymer or polymer free drug-eluting stents (DES) that exert low-restenosis rates, as restenosis rates are still high in CTO patients.
The publication of the article was supported by Alvimedica.