Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization as an Adjunct to Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Many patients with angina related to coronary artery disease respond to medical management or can be completely revascularized using available percutaneous coronary interventions or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). There is evidence, however, to indicate that up to 25% of patients are incompletely revascularized following CABG and that incomplete revascularization is a significant independent predictor of early and late mortality and adverse events. Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) is a surgical option for patients with debilitating angina due to coronary artery disease in areas of the heart not amenable to complete revascularization using conventional treatments. In randomized, 1-year controlled trials with long-term follow-up and in additional clinical experience, TMR performed adjunctively to CABG in patients who would be incompletely revascularized by CABG alone has yielded significantly improved clinical outcomes. Based on these published results, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons has issued a practice guideline recommending adjunctive TMR in this difficult patient group.