In patients undergoing chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), stenting demonstrated improved long-term survival and fewer cardiac arrests at one year.
This is according to late-breaking data presented today at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions (SCAI) 2025 scientific sessions (1–3 May, Washington, DC, USA).
CTO PCI is a challenging procedure and has been associated with lower success and higher in-hospital event rates compared to non-CTO PCI. The decision to place a stent may significantly impact clinical outcomes. While stenting improves blood vessel blockage or obstruction, the long-term benefits of stenting in CTO PCI remain debated.
The retrospective, single-centre observational study evaluated the association between stented versus non-stented CTOs at a high-volume PCI center. Patients were stratified into stented and non-stented groups. Baseline characteristics were assessed using descriptive statistics.
A total of 677 patients underwent CTO PCI, with 81.2% receiving stents. Stenting was associated with improved long-term outcomes, including a lower risk of cardiovascular death at six months (adjusted odds ratio 0.20, 95% confidence interval 0.06–0.71) and a lower incidence of cardiac arrest at one year (adjusted odds ratio 0.21, 95% confidence interval 0.06–0.72). No significant differences were observed in 30-day all-cause mortality or in-hospital complications.
“While stenting is widely accepted as beneficial for patients with total blockages, the data presented at SCAI Scientific Sessions provides further evidence that it should be considered safe and effective in the long term,” said M Chadi Alraies (Detroit Medical Center, Detroit, USA), the lead author of the study. “Our study provides evidence that stenting can be an important treatment option for patients undergoing CTO PCI.”
