A minimally invasive procedure for chronic total occlusion (CTO) can help patients get back to active lives. 

While treatment for CTO lesions may not lower the risk of heart attack, it can improve a patient’s quality of life. “A lot of patients with CTO are told they have no options or only medicine for the treatment of their symptoms, and that’s not true,” says Rhian Davies, DO, MS, FACC, FSCAI, interventional cardiologist at WellSpan Cardiology and Director of Complex Coronary at WellSpan Health. 

A Precise Procedure 

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can help many patients with CTO who are experiencing severe shortness of breath and chest discomfort. “When I open blockages, many patients instantly feel better, and others do within a week or two,” Dr. Davies says. “Patients tend to be more active, and some can even decrease or go off their medications.” 

PCI is a minimally invasive alternative to potential bypass surgery. And because bypass grafts often will not take in vessels that have CTO, PCI presents a lower-risk option for many patients. However, PCI is not without risk, meaning it’s most safely performed by highly experienced interventional cardiologists. “Bleeding around the heart can require drain placement or emergency surgery, or even cause death,” Dr. Davies says. “If you’re putting a patient through these risks, you need to be proficient in fixing these blockages.” 

A Trusted Referral 

Operating one of the highest-volume catheterization labs in the region, WellSpan Health has developed algorithms for safe and successful procedures for CTO and other complications of heart disease. The high volume also builds provider experience with CTO techniques and increased comfort using the equipment, leading to consistently better outcomes for patients.  

Learn more about how CTO treatment can help your patients at wellspan.org/heart.