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Twin Cities Heart and Lung
Heart Procedures Lung Procedures Vascular Procedures Glossary of Medical Terms
The surgeons at Twin Cities Heart and Lung believe in patient education. We've designed our site to help you learn about procedures so you can understand them and proceed with your treatment with the knowledge to put your fears to rest.
List of Heart Procedures:

Coronary Artery Bypass
Endoscopic Vein or Artery Harvest
Heart Transplant
Heart Valve Repair and Replacement
MAZE procedure
Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass
Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization
Ventricular Restoration
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Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization

Transmyocardial laser Revascularization (TMR) relieves chest pain caused by coronary artery disease, by applying a laser to the heart muscle. Patients with coronary artery disease are typically treated first with interventional procedures (angioplasty and stenting), coronary artery bypass grafting, and medications to improve blood flow to the heart muscle, but if these procedures do not eliminate the symptoms of chest pain, or if a traditional bypass is deemed unsafe, or the blockage is in an inoperable location, TMR may be the best bet.

The procedure is completed under general anesthesia, and it is often done in conjunction with other open-heart operations. Using a specialized laser, the surgeon creates a series of twenty to forty-five channels through the wall of the left ventricle, into the ventricular cavity in the area of the heart suffering form ischemia (lack of oxygenated blood). These channels are no bigger in diameter than a common sewing needle.

If the procedure is done with another surgery it will only add an extra twenty minutes onto the original surgery time. If it is done as a stand-alone procedure it takes from one hour to ninety minutes.

The channels are created by applying laser beam energy around an area where the blood flow in your heart has been impeded by blockages in the coronary arteries.

You may be a candidate for TMR if the following conditions are true:

  • You have angina due to cardiovascular disease.
  • Your angina has not been relieved by traditional interventions.
  • Your heart muscle is still salvagable in the affected area.
  • You may be having additional Coronary Artery Bypass (CAB) surgery in other treatable portions of the heart.

Some patients will not be candidates for this procedure. We would be happy to talk with you about your potential eligibility.

Before and After a Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization

 
 
 
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