Successful treatment of chronic total peripheral occlusions that failed conventional techniques using the stiff backend of the glidewire™

The vast majority of failures of transcatheter interventions in patients with peripheral vascular disease are due to inability to cross the lesion with a guidewire. Although the use of the Glidewire(TM) has clearly improved the success rate, failures with especially chronic total occlusions still occur. We describe a new technique using the very stiff backend of the Glidewire, which we have found very successful, when conventional techniques fail in crossing highly resistant lesions.