Every 3rd coronary angiography patient presents 1+ total arterial occlusion. Guidewire failure often precludes subsequent repair of the lesion in the cardiac cath lab; many of these patients are ultimately managed surgically or medically.
We must optimize stent deployment & maintain a registry of how well (or poorly) we use drug-eluting stents. Instead of asking “Which stent?” or “How much anti-platelet therapy?” we must ask “How effectively are we deploying our stents?”