Percutaneous myocardial laser-revascularization (PMR), a new therapy for patients with refractory angina pectoris

In patients with severe angina pectoris due to coronary artery disease, who are not candidates fur either percutaneous coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery, transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR) often leads to improvement of clinical symptoms and increased exercise capacity. One drawback of TMR is the need for surgical thoracotomy in order to gain access to the epicardial surface of the heart. Therefore, a catheter-based system has been develeped, which allows creation of laser channels into the myocardium from the left ventricular cavity. Between January 1997 and November 1999, this "percutaneous myocardial laser-revascularization" (PMR) was performed in 85 patients at the Herzzentrum Leipzig. Tn 43 patients, only one region of the heart (anterior, lateral, inferior or septal) was treated with PMR; in 42 patients two or three regions were treated ill one session. 12.3 +/- 4.3 (range 4-22) channels/region were created into the myocardium. Six months after PMR, the majority of patients reported significant improvement of clinical symptoms (CCS class at baseline: 3.3 +/- 0.4; after 6 months: 1.6 +/- 0.9) (p < 0.001) and an increased exercise capacity (baseline: 349 +/- 138 s; after 6 months: 470 +/- 193 s) (p < 0.05); however, thallium scintigraphy failed to show increased perfusion in the PMR treated regions. PMR seems to be a safe and feasible new therapeutic option fur patients with refractory angina pectoris due to end-stage coronary artery disease. The first results indicate improvement of clinical symptoms and increased exercise capacity; evidence of increased pel-fusion in the laser-treated regions is still lacking.