Highlights and essentials from the first "experts-live" course of the EuroCTO club

Chronic total occlusions (CTOs) are frequently encountered during diagnostic coronary catheterisation. However, there is still confusion regarding the indication for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in this lesion subset, mainly because it is cumbersome and the prognostic impact of revascularisation in these patients remains unclear. Many studies have now shown the long term clinical benefits after CTO PCI1-3; still, with procedural complexity, high radiation exposure to both the patient and the operator, high costs and lower procedural success rates, most patients with CTO are managed medically or referred for bypass graft surgery – regardless of the severity of symptoms and extent…