The Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Heart Center offers a highly advanced innovative approach to treat patients with chronic total occlusion, called chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO PCI). CTO PCI is a minimally invasive technique used to treat patients with chronic total occlusion (CTO), or complete blockages, of the coronary arteries. CTOs are blockages that have typically been present for more than three months. These blockages are a result of severe build-up of fatty deposits or plaque within the arteries (atherosclerosis) and are one of the complications from coronary artery disease (CAD).
CAD occurs when the artery or arteries that supply blood to the heart become narrowed or blocked because of atherosclerosis. When the heart does not receive enough blood, a person may have chest pain (angina), shortness of breath or a heart attack. …
