"Double Tip-in" Technique to Facilitate Retrograde Chronic Total Occlusion Approach

Abstract

"Tip-in" technique used in chronic total occlusion revascularization can sometimes be challenging. Herein, we describe a novel method to facilitate "tip-in". After retrograde lesion crossing, the retrograde wire is advanced in a stepwise fashion into the antegrade guide catheter, the guide extension catheter and finally into the antegrade microcatheter. The use of a small lumen guide extension catheter to facilitate "tip-in" works by decreasing the area of operation, hence maximizing the chances of the wire and microcatheter meeting in the same plane. Overall, this newly described "double tip-in" technique can increase procedural success and decrease procedural time.

Keywords: Chronic total occlusion (CTO); Retrograde; Tip-in.