Angioplastia vía retrógrada: una alternativa en las oclusiones totales coronarias

The safety and effectiveness of angioplasty for chronic total occlusions of the coronary arteries have been demonstrated in several studies, but the success rate is less than for conventional interventions. The complexity of the procedures presents a major challenge. In selected cases, performing angioplasty of the occlusion via a retrograde approach has been used as an alternative. We present the first published Spanish series, comprising 11 procedures in 9 patients, in which a retrograde approach was used to eliminate obstructions caused by chronic total coronary artery occlusions. The characteristics, outcomes and complications of the procedure were assessed.