Treatment of inoperable coronary disease and refractory angina: spinal stimulators, epidurals, gene therapy, transmyocardial laser, and counterpulsation
Abstract
Intractable angina from refractory coronary disease is a severe form of myocardial ischemia for which revascularization provides no prognostic benefit. Inoperable coronary disease is also accompanied by a "vicious cycle" of myocardial dystrophy from a chronic alteration of the cardiac sympathetic tone and sensitization of damaged cardiac tissues. Several adjunctive treatments have demonstrated efficacy when revascularization is either unsuccessful or contraindicated. Spinal cord stimulation modifies the neurologic input and output of the heart by delivering a very low dose of electrical current to the dorsal columns of the high thoracic spinal cord. Neural fibers then release CGRP and other endogenous peptides to the coronary circulation reducing myocardial oxygen demand and enhancing vasodilation of collaterals to improve the myocardial blood flow of the most diseased regions of the heart. Randomized study has shown the survival data at five years is comparable to bypass for high-risk patients. Transmyocardial laser revascularization creates small channels into ischemic myocardium in an effort to enhance flow though studies have shown no improvement in prognosis over medical therapy alone. Enhanced external counterpulsation us...Continue Reading
References
Thoracic epidural anesthesia reduces myocardial infarct size after coronary artery occlusion in dogs
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