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There are limited data on the association of operator volume with the outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).We analyzed the association between operator volume and procedural outcomes of 7035 CTO-PCIs performed between 2012 and February 2021 at 30 centers.The study population was divided into 3 groups based on annual operator CTO-PCI volume: low-volume operators (LVO:lt;30 cases/year; 39.7% of the cases); medium-volume operators (MVO: 30-60 cases/year; 25.7% of the cases); and high-volume operators (HVO:gt;60 cases/ year; 34.6% of the cases). Mean patient age was 64.4 ± 10 years and 82% were men. Cases performed by HVOs were more complex, with higher J-CTO score compared with cases performed by MVOs and LVOs (2.72 ± 1.27 vs 2.39 ± 1.19 vs 2.12 ± 1.27, respectively; Plt;.001). Moderate/severe proximal vessel tortuosity (35% vs 23% vs 20%; Plt;.001) and proximal cap ambiguity (44% vs 34% vs 32%; Plt;.001) was also more common in the HVO group. Cases performed by HVOs had higher technical success rates (87.9% vs 86.9% vs 82.6%; Plt;.001), but also higher rates of periprocedural major cardiac adverse events compared with MVOs and LVOs (3.08% vs 2.71% vs 1.50%; Plt;.01). On multivariable analyses, HVOs and MVOs were associated with higher technical success.In a contemporary, multicenter registry, 40% of CTO-PCI cases are performed by LVOs performinglt;30 cases per year. Cases performed by HVOs were associated with higher technical and procedural success, but also higher periprocedural major complication rates, potentially due to higher lesion complexity.

The retrograde approach to coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) can be used as the initial crossing strategy (primary retrograde) or after failure of antegrade crossing attempts (secondary retrograde).We compared baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics and procedural outcomes of primary vs secondary retrograde crossing for CTO percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among 2789 procedures performed at 34 centers between 2012 and 2021.Retrograde CTO-PCI was performed as the primary crossing strategy in 1086 cases (38.9%) and as a secondary approach in 1703 cases (61.1%). Patients in the primary group had slightly lower left ventricular ejection fraction (49.1% vs 50.4%; P=.02), were more likely to have had prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery (52.9% vs 38.4%; Plt;.001), and had higher J-CTO (3.31 ± 0.98 vs 2.99 ± 1.09; Plt;.001) and PROGRESS-CTO scores (1.47 ± 0.92 vs 1.29 ± 0.99; Plt;.001). Technical (81.4% vs 77.3%; P=.01) and procedural success rates (78.6% vs 74.1%; Plt;.01) were higher in the primary retrograde group, with no difference between in-hospital major adverse event rates (4.3% vs 4.0%; P=.66). Contrast volume (250 mL [interquartile range (IQR), 176-347] vs 270 mL [IQR, 190-367]; Plt;.001) and procedure time (175 minutes [IQR, 127-233] vs 180 minutes [IQR, 142-236]; Plt;.001) were lower in the primary group.Use of retrograde approach as the primary crossing strategy is associated with higher rates of technical and procedural success and similar rates of in-hospital major adverse cardiac events compared with secondary retrograde CTO-PCI.