BACKGROUND: Advancing the retrograde microcatheter (MC) into the antegrade guide catheter during retrograde chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can be challenging or impossible, preventing guidewire externalization. OBJECTIVES: To detail and evaluate all the techniques focused on wiring to achieve intubation of the distal tip of a microcatheter, balloon, or stent with an antegrade or retrograde guidewire, aiming to reduce complications by minimizing tension on fragile collaterals during externalization and enabling rapid antegrade conversion in various clinical scenarios. METHODS: We describe the two main techniques, tip-in and rendezvous, and their derivatives such a facilitated tip-in, manual MC-tip modification, tip-in the balloon, tip-in the stent, deep dive rendezvous, catch-it and antegrade microcatheter probing. We provide case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques in complex scenarios involving extreme vessel angulation, severe calcification, fragile collaterals, and challenging retrograde MC crossing without externalization. CONCLUSION: The development of advanced variants along with traditional techniques to establish retrograde guidewire connection and antegrade conversion has led to the establishment of a cohesive group of methods known as portal techniques. These approaches serve as strategic advantages in retrograde CTO-PCI, providing a valuable and feasible alternative to conventional retrograde connection techniques, particularly when those techniques fail. Their ability to avoid the externalization process reduces potential damage to collateral channels and the ostium of the donor artery, potentially leading to a reduction in complication rates.

• MeSH
• Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary instrumentation   adverse effects   MeSH
• Chronic Disease MeSH
• Equipment Design MeSH
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention instrumentation   adverse effects   MeSH
• Coronary Occlusion * diagnostic imaging   therapy   physiopathology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Miniaturization MeSH
• Cardiac Catheters * MeSH
• Stents * MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

BACKGROUND: Patients with severe aortic stenosis present frequently (∼50%) with concomitant obstructive coronary artery disease. Current guidelines recommend combined surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) as the preferred treatment. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) represent a valid treatment alternative. We aimed to test the non-inferiority of FFR-guided PCI plus TAVI versus SAVR plus CABG in patients with severe aortic stenosis and complex coronary artery disease. METHODS: This international, multicentre, prospective, open-label, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial was conducted at 18 tertiary medical centres across Europe. Patients (aged ≥70 years) with severe aortic stenosis and complex coronary artery disease, deemed feasible for percutaneous or surgical treatment according to the on-site Heart Team, were randomly assigned (1:1) to FFR-guided PCI plus TAVI or SAVR plus CABG according to a computer-generated sequence with random permuted blocks sizes stratified by site. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, disabling stroke, clinically driven target-vessel revascularisation, valve reintervention, and life-threatening or disabling bleeding at 1 year post-treatment. The trial was powered for non-inferiority (with a margin of 15%) and if met, for superiority. The primary and safety analyses were done per an intention-to-treat principle. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03424941) and is closed. FINDINGS: Between May 31, 2018, and June 30, 2023, 172 patients were enrolled, of whom 91 were assigned to the FFR-guided PCI plus TAVI group and 81 to the SAVR plus CABG group. The mean age of patients was 76·5 years (SD 3·9). 118 (69%) of 172 patients were male and 54 (31%) patients were female. FFR-guided PCI plus TAVI resulted in favourable outcomes for the primary endpoint (four [4%] of 91 patients) versus SAVR plus CABG (17 [23%] of 77 patients; risk difference -18·5 [90% CI -27·8 to -9·7]), which was below the 15% prespecified non-inferiority margin (pnon-inferiority<0·001). FFR-guided PCI plus TAVI was superior to SAVR plus CABG (hazard ratio 0·17 [95% CI 0·06-0·51]; psuperiority<0·001), which was driven mainly by all-cause mortality (none [0%] of 91 patients vs seven (10%) of 77 patients; p=0·0025) and life-threatening bleeding (two [2%] vs nine [12%]; p=0·010). INTERPRETATION: The TCW trial is the first trial to compare percutaneous treatment versus surgical treatment in patients with severe aortic stenosis and complex coronary artery disease, showing favourable primary endpoint and mortality outcomes with percutaneous treatment. FUNDING: Isala Heart Centre and Medtronic.

• MeSH
• Aortic Valve Stenosis * surgery   complications   MeSH
• Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation methods   MeSH
• Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial * MeSH
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention * methods   MeSH
• Coronary Artery Bypass * methods   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Coronary Artery Disease * surgery   complications   therapy   MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement * methods   MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Equivalence Trial MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

BACKGROUND: Modulation of the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a promising adjuvant therapy in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). In pre-clinical models, pulsed field (PF) energy has the advantage of selectively ablating the epicardial ganglionated plexi (GP) that govern the ANS. This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of epicardial ablation of the GPs with PF during cardiac surgery with a primary efficacy outcome of prolongation of the atrial effective refractory period (AERP). METHODS: In a single-arm, prospective analysis, patients with or without a history of AF underwent epicardial GP ablation with PF during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). AERP was determined immediately pre- and post- GP ablation to assess cardiac ANS function. Holter monitors were performed to determine rhythm status and heart rate variability (HRV) at baseline and at 1-month post-procedure. RESULTS: Of 24 patients, 23 (96%) received the full ablation protocol. No device-related adverse effects were noted. GP ablation resulted in a 20.7 ± 19.9% extension in AERP (P < 0.001). Post-operative AF was observed in 7 (29%) patients. Holter monitoring demonstrated an increase in mean heart rate (74.0 ± 8.7 vs. 80.6 ± 12.3, P = 0.01). There were no significant changes in HRV. There were no study-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of epicardial ablation of the GP using PF to modulate the ANS during cardiac surgery. Large, randomized analyses are necessary to determine whether epicardial PF ablation can offer a meaningful impact on the cardiac ANS and reduce AF. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration: NCT04775264.

• MeSH
• Electrocardiography, Ambulatory MeSH
• Electroporation * methods   MeSH
• Atrial Fibrillation * surgery   MeSH
• Ganglia, Autonomic * surgery   MeSH
• Catheter Ablation * methods   MeSH
• Coronary Artery Bypass * methods   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Pericardium * surgery   innervation   MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Feasibility Studies MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Clinical Study MeSH

Kontext: Součástí přípravy na operaci je stanovení optimálního chirurgického postupu a léčby pacienta. Ve snaze pomoci při hodnocení faktorů souvisejících s výsledkem operace byly vypracovány různé modely stratifikace rizika jako euroScore ii, skóre StS a skóre Acef ii. tyto skórovací systémy se dnes používají při stratifikaci rizika pacientů podstupujících aortokoronární bypass (coronary artery bypass graft, cABG). Dosud však není jasné, který z těchto modelů je vhodnější pro pacienty v indonésii. cílem této studie bylo porovnat systémy euroScore ii, skóre StS a skóre Acef ii u indonéských pacientů po cABG. Metody: V období od ledna 2021 do března 2023 byla provedena průřezová studie s použitím sekundárních údajů ze zdravotnických záznamů všech pacientů podstupujících cABG. Byly vytvořeny křivky operační charakteristiky přijímače (receiver operating characteristic, roc) a následně vypočtena plocha pod těmito křivkami (area under the roc curve, Auc) pro výpočet diskriminační síly každého modelu. Výsledky: Do studie bylo zařazeno celkem 131 pacientů. Mortalita celé skupiny činila 5 % (sedm jedinců). Predikovaná mortalita podle modelu euroScore ii byla 1,58 ± 2,08, při použití skóre StS to bylo 1,14 ± 1,58, a podle skóre Acef ii činila hodnota 1,60 ± 0,97. Diskriminační síla operační mortality podle plochy pod křivkou při použití systémů euroScore ii, skóre StS a skóre Acef ii činila 0,94 (95% ci 0,86–0,99; p < 0,0001), resp. 0,93 (95% ci 0,81–0,99; p < 0,0001) a 0,76 (95% ci 0,55–0,97; p < 0,05). Závěr: Z výsledků vyplývá, že systémy euroScore ii, skóre StS a skóre Acef ii mají uspokojivou diskriminační sílu. nicméně všechny uvedené modely stratifikace rizika mají své slabiny a limitace použití a je nutno je používat uvážlivě.

Background: Identifying the optimal surgical approach and therapy for a patient is an important step in the preoperative preparation process. Risk stratification models such as EuroSCORE II, STS score, and ACEF II score were created to assist in evaluating factors associated with surgical outcomes. This scoring models are now utilized to risk stratify patients having coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, it has not been determined which model is better for Indonesian patients. The purpose of this study was to compare EuroSCORE II, STS score, and ACEF II score in CABG patients from Indonesia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to March 2023 by utilizing secondary data collected from medical records of all patients undergoing CABG. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were created, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to measure the discriminative power of each score. Results: A total of 131 patients were included in the study. The overall observed mortality on the entire group was 7 (5%). The EuroSCORE II-predicted mortality was 1.58 ± 2.08, the STS score-predicted mortality was 1.14 ± 1.58, and the ACEF II score-predicted mortality was 1.60 ± 0.97. The discriminative ability for operative mortality by area under the curve for EuroSCORE II, STS Score, and ACEF II score was 0.94 (95% CI 0.86-0.99; p <0.0001), 0.93 (95% CI 0.81-0.99; p <0.0001), and 0.76 (95% CI 0.55-0.97; p <0.05), respectively. Conclusion: This result suggests that EuroSCORE II, STS score, and ACEF II score have satisfactory discriminatory power. However, all three risk stratification models have their own strengths and limitation in their application and should be used wisely.

• Keywords
• EuroSCORE II, model stratifikace rizika, skóre ACEF II,
• MeSH
• Risk Assessment * MeSH
• Coronary Artery Bypass * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Proportional Hazards Models MeSH
• Risk Adjustment MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Geographicals
• Indonesia MeSH

BACKGROUND: Current therapy for in-stent restenosis (ISR) is based on drug-eluting stents (DES) or drug-eluting balloon catheters. This prospective randomized study compared the efficacy of a novel sirolimus-eluting balloon (SEB) catheter to that of a paclitaxel-eluting balloon (PEB) catheter for the treatment of bare-metal stent (BMS-ISR) or DES-ISR. METHODS: A total of 145 patients with 158 BMS or DES-ISR lesions were randomly assigned to the treatment with either SEB or PEB. The in-segment late lumen loss at 12 months, the 12-month incidence of binary ISR, and major adverse cardiac events (cardiac death, nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, or target lesion revascularization) were compared between groups. RESULTS: The noninferiority of SEB compared with PEB in the treatment of BMS/DES-ISR with respect to late lumen loss was not demonstrated (Δlate lumen loss, -0.024 mm [95% CI, -0.277 to 0.229]; for a noninferiority margin of 0.20 mm), except in the post hoc subanalysis for the BMS-ISR group (-0.203 mm [95% CI, -0.584 to 0.178]). No significant differences in the incidence of repeated binary ISR (31.6% versus 30.4%, P=0.906) or 12-month major adverse cardiac events (31% for both; P>0.999) between the SEB and PEB groups were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The noninferiority of SEB relative to PEB in the treatment of BMS/DES-ISR with respect to late lumen loss was not confirmed. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03667313.

• MeSH
• Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary * adverse effects   instrumentation   MeSH
• Coated Materials, Biocompatible * administration & dosage   MeSH
• Time Factors MeSH
• Cardiovascular Agents administration & dosage   adverse effects   MeSH
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention * adverse effects   instrumentation   MeSH
• Coronary Restenosis * diagnostic imaging   therapy   mortality   etiology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Coronary Artery Disease * diagnostic imaging   therapy   mortality   MeSH
• Paclitaxel * administration & dosage   adverse effects   MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Prosthesis Design MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Sirolimus * administration & dosage   adverse effects   MeSH
• Cardiac Catheters MeSH
• Drug-Eluting Stents adverse effects   MeSH
• Stents adverse effects   MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Equivalence Trial MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

BACKGROUND: Long-term outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) might be changing because of improved techniques and better medical therapy. This final prespecified analysis of the Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) versus Angiography for Multivessel Evaluation (FAME) 3 trial aimed to reassess their comparative effectiveness at 5 years. METHODS: FAME 3 was a multicentre, randomised trial comparing FFR-guided PCI using current-generation zotarolimus-eluting stents versus CABG in patients with three-vessel coronary artery disease not involving the left main coronary artery. 48 hospitals in Europe, USA and Canada, Australia, and Asia participated in the trial. Patients (aged ≥21 years with no cardiogenic shock, no recent ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, no severe left ventricular dysfunction, and no previous CABG) were randomly assigned to either PCI or CABG using a web-based system. At 1 year, FFR-guided PCI did not meet the prespecified threshold for non-inferiority for the outcome of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or repeat revascularisation versus CABG. The primary endpoint for this intention-to-treat analysis was the 5-year incidence of the prespecified composite outcome of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02100722, and is completed; this is the final report. FINDINGS: Between Aug 25, 2014 and Nov 28, 2019, 757 of 1500 participants were assigned to PCI and 743 to CABG. 5-year follow-up was achieved in 724 (96%) patients assigned to PCI and 696 (94%) assigned to CABG. At 5 years, there was no significant difference in the composite of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction between the two groups, with 119 (16%) events in the PCI group and 101 (14%) in the CABG group (hazard ratio 1·16 [95% CI 0·89-1·52]; p=0·27). There were no differences in the rates of death (53 [7%] vs 51 [7%]; 0·99 [0·67-1·46]) or stroke (14 [2%] vs 21 [3%], 0·65 [0·33-1·28]), but myocardial infarction was higher in the PCI group than in the CABG group (60 [8%] vs 38 [5%], 1·57 [1·04-2·36]), as was repeat revascularisation (112 [16%] vs 55 [8%], 2·02 [1·46-2·79]). INTERPRETATION: At the 5-year follow-up, there was no significant difference in a composite outcome of death, stroke, or myocardial infarction after FFR-guided PCI versus CABG, although myocardial infarction and repeat revascularisation were higher with PCI. These results provide contemporary evidence to allow improved shared decision making between physicians and patients. FUNDING: Medtronic and Abbott Vascular.

• MeSH
• Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial * MeSH
• Myocardial Infarction epidemiology   MeSH
• Coronary Angiography MeSH
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention * methods   MeSH
• Coronary Artery Bypass * methods   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Follow-Up Studies MeSH
• Coronary Artery Disease * surgery   mortality   MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Sirolimus analogs & derivatives   administration & dosage   MeSH
• Drug-Eluting Stents MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

OBJECTIVE: The management of pelvic venous disorders (PeVD) remains controversial. Open surgical and endovascular methods are currently used for treatment, but there are few data in the literature on the morphology and histology of the ectatic ovarian vein (OV). This study aimed to explore the histomorphological changes in a dilated OV in patients with PeVD and compare it with a normal OV obtained post-mortem and a normal great saphenous vein (GSV). METHODS: Histology of the OV was studied in 16 patients who underwent surgery for PeVD, 10 control cadavers from whom fragments of the OV without visible gross changes were taken at autopsy, and nine control patients in whom the GSV was resected to be used for coronary artery bypass. RESULTS: The OV wall in patients with PeVD consisted of three layers: intima, media, and adventitia. The OV looked very similar to the GSV wall because of a clearly developed layer of smooth muscle fibres. The thickness of the normal OV was significantly different to the OV wall in PeVD (475.3 μm, IQR 370.7, 607.6 vs. 776.3 μm, IQR 668.9, 879.6, p < .001) and did not differ significantly from the thickness of a normal GSV wall (784.3 μm, IQR 722.2, 898.2). The intima-media complex of the OV was significantly thinner than the GSV in PeVD (118.9 μm, IQR 75.6, 159.6 vs. 415 μm, IQR 399.5, 520.0, р < .001); however, the adventitia of the OV was significantly thicker than in normal OV and GSV (599.6 μm, IQR 444.3, 749.7 vs. 373.5 μm, IQR 323.8, 482.0 vs. 308.4 μm, IQR 275.9, 338.2, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Dilatation of the OV in patients with PeVD was accompanied by a significant increase in the overall thickness of the vein wall, which brings it closer in structure to the GSV. This implies that the OV may be used safely for transposition into the inferior vena cava or iliac vein.

• MeSH
• Coronary Artery Bypass MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Pelvis MeSH
• Varicose Veins * surgery   MeSH
• Vena Cava, Inferior MeSH
• Saphenous Vein surgery   MeSH
• Venous Insufficiency * surgery   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

BACKGROUND: The clinical impact of a chronic total occlusion (CTO) in patients with 3-vessel coronary artery disease undergoing fractional flow reserve-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with current-generation drug-eluting stents or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is unclear. METHODS: The FAME 3 trial (Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Angiography for Multivessel Evaluation 3) compared fractional flow reserve-guided PCI with CABG in patients with 3-vessel coronary artery disease. The primary end point was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or repeat revascularization at 1 year. In this substudy, the 3-year outcomes were analyzed in patients with or without a CTO. RESULTS: Of the patients randomized to PCI or CABG in the FAME 3 trial, 305 (21%) had a CTO. In the PCI arm, revascularization of the CTO was attempted in 61% with a procedural success rate of 88%. The incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at 3 years was not significantly different between those with or without a CTO in both the PCI (15.2% versus 20.1%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.38-1.03]; P=0.07) and the CABG (13.0% versus 12.9%; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.55-1.66]; P=0.88) arms. In those without a CTO, PCI was associated with a significantly higher risk of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events compared with CABG (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.61 [95% CI, 1.20-2.17]; P<0.01) but not in those with a CTO (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.21 [95% CI, 0.64-2.28]; P=0.56; Pinteraction=0.31). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a CTO did not significantly impact the treatment effect of PCI versus CABG at 3 years in patients with 3-vessel coronary artery disease. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02100722.

• MeSH
• Time Factors MeSH
• Chronic Disease MeSH
• Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial * MeSH
• Coronary Angiography * MeSH
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention * adverse effects   mortality   MeSH
• Coronary Artery Bypass * adverse effects   mortality   MeSH
• Coronary Occlusion * diagnostic imaging   mortality   therapy   physiopathology   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Coronary Artery Disease therapy   mortality   diagnostic imaging   physiopathology   MeSH
• Predictive Value of Tests MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Drug-Eluting Stents * MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Multicenter Study MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH

BACKGROUND: Complete revascularization is the standard treatment for patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease. The FIRE trial (Functional Assessment in Elderly Myocardial Infarction Patients With Multivessel Disease) confirmed the benefit of complete revascularization in a population of older patients, but the follow-up is limited to 1 year. Therefore, the long-term benefit (>1 year) of this strategy in older patients is debated. To address this, an individual patient data meta-analysis was conducted in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction ≥75 years of age enrolled in randomized clinical trials investigating complete versus culprit-only revascularization strategies. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane database were systematically searched to identify randomized clinical trials comparing complete versus culprit-only revascularization. Individual patient-level data were collected from the relevant trials. The primary end point was death, myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven revascularization. The secondary end point was cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction. RESULTS: Data from 7 randomized clinical trials encompassing 1733 patients (917 randomized to culprit-only and 816 to complete revascularization) were analyzed. The median age was 79 [interquartile range, 77-83] years. Of the patients, 595 (34%) were female. Follow-up ranged from a minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 6.2 years (median, 2.5 [interquartile range, 1-3.8] years). Complete revascularization reduced the primary end point up to 4 years (hazard ratio, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.63-0.96]) but not at the longest available follow-up (hazard ratio, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.69-1.01]). Complete revascularization significantly reduced the occurrence of cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction at the longest available follow-up (hazard ratio, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.58-0.99]). This was observed even when censoring the follow-up at each year. Long-term rate of death did not differ between complete and culprit-only revascularization arms. CONCLUSIONS: In this individual patient data meta-analysis of older patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease, complete revascularization reduced the primary end point of death, myocardial infarction, or ischemia-driven revascularization up to 4 years. At the longest follow-up, complete revascularization reduced the composite of cardiovascular death or myocardial infarction but not the primary end point. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/; Unique identifier: CRD42022367898.

• MeSH
• ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction * mortality   surgery   therapy   MeSH
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention mortality   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic * MeSH
• Myocardial Revascularization * methods   MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Age Factors MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged, 80 and over MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Meta-Analysis MeSH

The retrograde approach in chronic total occlusion (CTO) interventions often encounters significant challenges, particularly, when aligning the retrograde microcatheter (MC) with the antegrade system is difficult, complicating or even preventing standard externalization. To address these issues, techniques like the "tip-in" have proven to be effective backup strategies. We introduce the "Manual Microcatheter-tip Modification" (MMM) technique as an alternative when the "tip-in" method faces complications. We present a case of a left anterior descending CTO where MMM was successfully employed for the first time, enabling successful revascularization by manually modifying the MC tip to engage the retrograde guidewire. We explore the technical details within the framework of contemporary CTO PCI. This new technique could enhance the management of CTO interventions, offering innovative solutions when traditional externalization methods are problematic.

• MeSH
• Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary instrumentation   MeSH
• Chronic Disease MeSH
• Equipment Design * MeSH
• Coronary Angiography * MeSH
• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention instrumentation   MeSH
• Coronary Occlusion * diagnostic imaging   therapy   MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Miniaturization * MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Cardiac Catheterization instrumentation   MeSH
• Cardiac Catheters * MeSH
• Treatment Outcome MeSH
• Check Tag
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH