Transmyocardial Revascularization

#7

Cardiothoracic Surgery

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NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has been recognized as the first hospital in the greater New York area to have cardiothoracic surgeons trained in transmyocardial revascularization (TMR), a technique that offers relief for people suffering from severe angina. Angina is the pain or discomfort associated with atherosclerosis, and is caused by clogged blood vessels that cannot deliver enough oxygen to the heart. People who have reasonably good heart function (no heart failure), but are not candidates for traditional surgical interventions such as angioplasty, stent placement, or bypass surgery, and who still experience pain while taking medications for angina, are ideal candidates for TMR.

In TMR, a laser device creates multiple tiny (about 1 mm in diameter) channels in areas of the ventricular wall that are not receiving sufficient blood supply. These channels serve as sites for the growth of new tiny blood vessels that help increase blood flow to the heart. Studies have shown that 70% of patients with severe angina who were treated with TMR had decreased pain, and better quality of life.