Flagship Programs

Yale Cardiology has among the worlds most prolific programs for recanalization of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO). Yale cardiology performs > 200 coronary CTO PCI procedures annually and develops and applies a variety of innovative technologies and techniques to optimize success, safety, and clinical outcomes. These methods include advanced guidewires and crossing devices, retrograde techniques including controlled antegrade retrograde tracking methods (CART), reverse CART, antegrade and retrograde coronary reentry, intravascular ultrasound guided recanalization among others. Yale cardiology supports a variety of national and international meetings and educational programs to education physicians for methods and patient selection for CTO PCI and has frequent dedicated focused educational program for visiting physicians in practice. Yale serves as a worldwide quaternary referral center for this disease. The current success rates approach 95% without ever excluding a patient on the basis of complex coronary anatomy. Current efforts include development of new devices to improve procedural success, delineation of patient outcomes, and standardization of techniques and education for CTO PCI.