@Article{Bryniarski2021,
journal="Advances in Interventional Cardiology/Postępy w Kardiologii Interwencyjnej",
issn="1734-9338",
volume="17",
number="1",
year="2021",
title="Chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention in everyday clinical practice – an expert opinion of the Association of Cardiovascular Interventions of the Polish Cardiac Society",
abstract="Coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) are increasingly encountered during invasive and non-invasive coronary angiography and remain the most challenging lesions for percutaneous revascularization. During recent years success rates and safety outcomes of CTO percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have substantially improved, particularly due to the introduction of new techniques and dedicated equipment as well as specialized training programs of CTO operators. Significantly, the steady advances in CTO PCI techniques have coincided with the new data from randomized clinical trials supporting the role of percutaneous recanalization of CTO in relieving angina and improving the quality of life. The current expert consensus document outlines the rationale, clinical outcomes as well as technical, safety and reimbursement issues of CTO PCI. In addition, the requirements for achieving and maintaining competency in CTO PCI among interventional cardiologists are discussed. Finally, we present the modified hybrid algorithm (the so-called Polish hybrid algorithm) providing some unique refinements to the contemporary CTO PCI strategies. Continuous efforts (including active engagement with the payer) are urgently needed to increase guideline-recommended referrals to CTO PCI, and thus improve the quality of life of CTO patients in Poland.",
author="Bryniarski, Leszek
and Opolski, Maksymilian P.
and Wójcik, Jarosław
and Lesiak, Maciej
and Pawłowski, Tomasz
and Drozd, Jakub
and Wojakowski, Wojciech
and Surowiec, Sławomir
and Dąbrowski, Maciej
and Witkowski, Adam
and Dudek, Dariusz
and Grygier, Marek
and Bartuś, Stanisław",
pages="6--20",
doi="10.5114/aic.2021.104763",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/aic.2021.104763"
}