One 6-F Guiding Catheter and One Microcatheter to Accomplish a Retrograde Chronic Total Occlusion Approach: The “Reverse Tip-In” or “Introspect” Technique

Abstract

The retrograde approach has significantly increased the overall success rate of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), up to 90% in the hands of experienced CTO operators. The “tip-in” technique involves inserting an antegrade microcatheter over the retrograde guidewire, allowing for antegrade intervention on the CTO segment. Through the presentation of the following case, we want to illustrate how to undertake a retrograde approach to bridge the occluded segment via the “reverse tip-in” or “introspect” technique, using a single guiding catheter with one microcatheter inside.