Mechanical Circulatory Support Use in Chronic Total Occlusion Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review

Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains controversial, particularly in high-risk procedures such as chronic total occlusion PCI (CTO-PCI), and real-world data on its frequency, patient selection, and outcomes are limited.

To assess the frequency of MCS use during CTO-PCI, to describe the clinical and procedural characteristics of supported patients, and to synthesize the available outcome data.

A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251044868). PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched.

Nine studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Reported rates of MCS use during CTO-PCI ranged from 0.7% to 6.4%. MCS was used more frequently in elderly patients and those with diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, impaired left ventricular systolic function, greater anatomical complexity, and in procedures employing a retrograde approach. Across studies, procedural and clinical outcomes were consistently more favorable when MCS was implanted prophylactically rather than used as urgent rescue therapy.

Overall, MCS use during CTO-PCI is infrequent and largely reserved for selected high-risk cases. In patients with a meaningful anticipated risk of hemodynamic instability, prophylactic implantation should be considered. Prospective multicenter studies are needed to refine indications and assess cost-effectiveness.