Transmyocardial laser revascularisation compared with continued medical therapy for treatment of refractory angina pectoris: a prospective randomised trial. ATLANTIC Investigators. Angina Treatments-Lasers and Normal Therapies in Comparison.
BACKGROUND
Transmyocardial revascularisation (TMR) is an operative treatment for refractory angina pectoris when bypass surgery or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is not indicated. We did a prospective randomised trial to compare TMR with continued medication.


METHODS
We recruited 182 patients from 16 US centres with Canadian Cardiovascular Society Angina (CCSA) score III (38%) or IV (62%), reversible ischaemia, and incomplete response to other therapies. Patients were randomly assigned TMR and continued medication (n=92) or continued medication alone (n=90). Baseline assessments were angina class, exercise tolerance, Seattle angina questionnaire for quality of life, and dipyridamole thallium stress test. We reassessed patients at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months, with independent masked angina assessment at 12 months.


RESULTS
At 12 months, total exercise tolerance increased by a median of 65 s in the TMR group compared with a 46 s decrease in the medication-only group (p<0.0001, median difference 111 s). Independent CCSA score was II or lower in 47.8% in the TMR group compared with 14.3% in the medication-only group (p<0.001). Each Seattle angina questionnaire index increased in the TMR group significantly more than in the medication-only group (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
TMR lowered angina scores, increased exercise tolerance time, and improved patients' perceptions of quality of life. This operative treatment provided clinical benefits in patients with no other therapeutic options.
Burkhoff
D
D
Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
Schmidt
S
S
Schulman
S P
SP
Myers
J
J
Resar
J
J
Becker
L C
LC
Weiss
J
J
Jones
J W
JW
D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D015996:Survival Rate
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents