Percutaneous coronary interventions and cardiovascular outcomes for patients with chronic total occlusions

Objectives: This study sought to assess the benefits of a coronary chronic total occlusion CTO recanalization after adjusting for the case-mix and the propensity to undergo the CTO intervention in a population of patients with stable coronary artery disease. Background: The benefits of percutaneous recanalization of CTO are disputed. Methods: In 1,602 patients with a least one CTO and treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), we derived a propensity score to undergo a CTO recanalization by comparing the characteristics of patients who did (n = 346) and did not (n = 1,256) undergo a CTO PCI attempt. Among the patients who underwent a CTO PCI attempt, we identified the angiographic predictors of failure. The primary analysis was ultimately performed by looking at the association between the outcome of the CTO recanalization and the survival free of death and cardiovascular rehospitalizations. Sensitivity analyses were performed by adjusting for the propensity to undergo a CTO recanalization, for the anatomical predictors of failure, and for the extent of coronary artery revascularization achieved. Results: A successful CTO recanalization was not significantly associated with survival free of death and cardiovascular rehospitalization (HR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.64-1.25). Even more conservative hazards ratio point estimates were obtained with the sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: Successful percutaneous CTO recanalization is not associated with survival free of death and cardiovascular hospitalizations in a contemporary population of patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease.