The importance of the “safety coronary guidewire” in the donor vessel during Chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention

Donor vessel injury is a well-known complication of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Due to significant amount of myocardium at risk, donor vessel injury may lead to rapid hemodynamic collapse. In this setting, prompt restoration of blood flow into the donor artery is of paramount importance. Advancement of a safety coronary workhorse guidewire in the donor vessel prior to attempting CTO PCI is a simple maneuver that provides access to the donor artery for rapid coronary intervention and restoration of blood flow, in the event of donor vessel injury. We describe two cases of CTO PCI that illustrate the value of the safety coronary guidewire.