Long-term clinical outcomes after successful and failed recanalization to native chronic Total occlusion: Insights from the Busan chronic Total occlusion (B-CTO) Registry.

OBJECTIVE: To assess hard major adverse clinical events (HMACE) after successful versus failed percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion (PCI-CTO).

BACKGROUND: There are limited data regarding long-term HMACE risks based on PCI-CTO success.

METHODS: First-time PCI was performed in 438 consecutive patients with 473 target CTO lesions. Patients after procedural success (n=355; 378 CTO lesions) and failure (n=83; 95 CTO lesions) were followed for an average 40months (7-77months range). We compared HMACE (composite of cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke) dependent on the success of PCI.

RESULTS: The incidence of HMACE was low, with a total of 16 events, and did not differ {6% vs.3.1%, HR=0.47; CI [0.16-1.35; p=0.162} dependent on the success of PCI-CTO. There were less cardiac deaths {0.3% vs. 1.2%, RR=0.22; CI [0.01-3.50];p=0.283}, non fatal MI {1.1% vs.3.6%, RR=0.27; CI [0.06-1.22], p=0.089}, but more strokes {1.7% vs.1.2%, RR=1.32; CI [0.16-10.99], p=0.795} after successful PCI-CTO.

CONCLUSIONS: The risks of HMACE after PCI-CTO over long-term follow-up were minimal, and do not depend on the procedure success. This unexpected finding somewhat challenge the aggressive interventional approach, and should be confirmed in the adequately powered randomized trial.