Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the single most common cause of death in the Western world. CAD is commonly treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Up to 25 % of CAD patients who undergo PCI have particularly long and complex procedures that can lead to greater X-ray radiation exposure, more exposure to contrast dye that can damage the kidneys, and a higher risk of major adverse cardiac complications. One particular type of complex coronary artery disease, chronic total occlusions (CTO), affects 10-30% of patients with CAD who undergo PCI. As recently noted by Hannan et al (Circulation, 2006;113:2406-2412) patients with CTOs that were not treated during PCI procedures had significantly increased long term mortality.
Complex cases enabled by Stereotaxis technology include:
Retrograde wire navigation
Extreme vascular angulations (PCI & ASA)
Multi-vessel diffuse disease
No conventional guide support
Bifurcation lesions
Chronic Total Occlusions (CTO)
Stereotaxis employs precise computerized magnetic navigation technology to control the distal tip of guidewires and other devices facilitating complex PCI procedures. The Stereotaxis system has the ability to provide 3-D vessel reconstruction from standard 2-D X-ray images. This reconstruction not only provides standard QCA vessel analysis for improved stent selection, but it also provides a 3-D centerline pathway for directing Stereotaxis magnetically enabled guidewires down tortuous, diseased vessel pathways or through CTOs.
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The Stereotaxis Magnetic Navigation System can also integrate pre-operatively acquired three dimensional images such as 
