Percutaneous Revascularization of Chronic Total Occlusions

Many patients with severe intermittent claudication (IC) or critical limb ischemia (CLI) have chronic total occlusions (CTO) in their lower extremity vascular bed. The successful treatment of these lesions is becoming increasingly more important as the population ages and the prevalence of diseases such as diabetes mellitus and its consequences increases. Many of these patients have significant comorbidities and may benefit from less invasive treatment options. Several endovascular techniques have now become well established in the treatment of these lesions. Additionally, several new adjunctive tools have been developed to enhance the technical success of CTO revascularization. These tools and techniques offer a minimally invasive alternative for limb salvage in this compromised patient population and have become an established practice in many centers. Although some concerns about procedure durability and lower rates of primary patency exist, particularly when compared to surgical bypass, the limb salvage and amputation-free survival rates are much more encouraging. Advantages of these techniques compared to surgical bypass are reduced morbidity and mortality, reduced anesthesia requirements, and potential reductions in length of hospital stay and cost. In addition, bypass options are typically preserved after endovascular treatment. The more conventional and some newer endovascular treatment approaches, some of the adjunctive tools and techniques used in CTO revascularization as well as their clinical results will be discussed in this review.