Crossing of a calcified "balloon uncrossable" coronary chronic total occlusion facilitated by a laser catheter: A case report and review recent four years' experience at the Thoraxcenter

Abstract Failure to cross with a balloon is a well recognised cause of failure to recanalise a chronic total occlusion (CTO) despite successfully positioning a guidewire into the distal true lumen. One technique that is infrequently used currently is excimer laser assisted coronary intervention. We report a patient with CTO in whom in the fourth attempt, the operators succeeded by using a laser catheter. Also, we review the cases treated with laser catheter in our institution during these recent 4years. The laser catheter can be useful in selected patients including those with CTO where a balloon would not pass despite a guidewire in the distal true lumen.