Transmyocardial Laser (TMR)

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South Florida
Cardiovascular
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Associates, P.A.

350 NW 84th Avenue
Suite 300, Plantation
FL 33324

Ph: 954-475-9535
Fx: 954-475-4637

  Of the more than 6.4 million Americans that suffer from angina, 150,000 have Class 4 symptoms (rest pain) and are not candidates for conventional coronary artery bypass surgery or ballon angioplasty and stenting. If these symptoms can not be relieved with medication, transmyocardial laser revascularization (tmr) may be an option. A hand held laser is placed against the outside of the heart muscle, and the laser makes multiple small channels through the entire thickness of the heart muscle wall (pictured at left).

The surgeon makes channels every 1 to 2 square centimeter to treat the area of the heart not getting enough blood flow. These newly created channels stimulate angiogenesis in the heart muscle. This means that there is new blood vessel ingrowth into heart muscle currently not receiving enough blood, oxygen, and nutrients.

The cartoon at right depicts a new blood vessel growing into a channel and maturing over time to improve blood flow. A clear majority (over 75%) of patients treated with TMR improved at least two angina classes during the first year after TMR treatment. Longer term results show that benefit from TMR persists at least five years. Many patients have exhibited a reduction in major adverse cardiac events, a reduction in the need for hospitalization, and an increase in event-free survival.


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