LAUSR

BackgroundPercutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of total chronic coronary occlusion (CTO) still remains a major challenge. Insignificant data are reported in the literature about gender differences in CTO-PCI in the era of new drug-eluting stents. In this study we analysed the impact of gender on procedural characteristics, complications and acute results.MethodsBetween 2010–2015 we included 780 consecutive patients. They underwent PCI for at least one CTO. Antegrade and retrograde CTO techniques were applied.ResultsPatients undergoing CTO-PCI were mainly men (84%). Male patients were younger (66.9 years ±10.6 vs. 61.1 years ±10.4; p < 0.001), more often smokers, but less frequently had a history of coronary artery disease (24.4% vs. 32.7%; p = 0.085) compared with female patients. Female patients more often had diabetes mellitus (29.6% vs. 26.7%; p = 0.55) and hypertension (82.7% vs. 80.7%; p = 0.55). There were no differences with respect to the amount of contrast fluid, fluoroscopy time and examination time as well as to the length of the stent or the number of the stents. The stent diameter was slightly smaller in women, which was not surprising because the lumen calibre tends to be smaller in women than in men (3.0 mm (2.5–3) vs. 3.0 mm (3–3.5); p < 0.001). The success rates were 81.0% in women and 80.1% in men. There was no significant interaction between gender and procedural success and complication rates.ConclusionsOur retrospective study suggests that women and men have a comparable success rate at a low complication rate after recanalisation of CTO.