This study analyzes the results of angioplasty in 905 consecutive patients with 971 total occlusions. The procedures were performed by five cardiologists from January 1980 to January 1989 at one institution. The overall success rate per lesion was 72%. Even the most experienced operator (524 occlusions attempted) has continued to improve on a learning curve, with 83% of his most recent 100 occlusions successfully dilated. Procedural death occurred in seven patients (0.8%), five patients (0.6%) sustained a myocardial infarction and seven patients (0.8%) required urgent coronary bypass surgery. Complications were significantly more likely to occur in the elderly, in women and in patients with triple vessel disease and depressed left ventricular function. Compared with angioplasty in 6,950 patients with nonoccluded stenoses, angioplasty of total occlusions had a lower success rate (72% versus 96%, p = 0.001), although the complication rate was also lower (1.9% versus 3.5%, p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis of 20 clinical and angiographic variables in 100 consecutive patients undergoing angioplasty of 104 total occlusions in 1988 identified only bridging collateral vessels (85% success rate if absent versus 18% if present, p less than 0.001) and a tapered occlusion morphology (88% success rate if present versus 59% if absent, p = 0.01) as independent correlates of procedural outcome. Other variables, including the estimated duration of occlusion, lesion length and location, and extent of disease were unrelated to technical success. With present techniques and sufficient operator experience, 70% to 80% of total occlusions can be successfully recanalized by coronary angioplasty with a complication rate of less than 2%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)