CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSION OF THE CORONARY ARTERY

Course overview

CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSION (CTO) LESIONS ARE DIAGNOSED IN PATIENTS WHO ARE UNDERGOING CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY AS PART OF THE EVALUATION OF ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE, CARDIOMYOPATHY, OR VALVULAR HEART DISEASE. CTO REVASCULARIZATION HAS NOT SHOWN BENEFIT IN RATES OF ALL-CAUSE MORTALITY, MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION, STROKE, AND REPEAT REVASCULARIZATION AND IS COMMONLY PERFORMED TO IMPROVE A PATIENT'S QUALITY OF LIFE BY REDUCING THEIR ANGINA SYMPTOMS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC TOTAL OCCLUSION OF THE CORONARY ARTERY AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING THIS CONDITION.