Hypothesis and development of a minimally invasive approach for percutaneous transmyocardial revascularization with holmium laser.
BACKGROUND
Percutaneous transluminal myocardial revascularization (PTMR) is a new procedure to improve perfusion of the ventricular wall for patients with intractable angina and untreatable by surgery or conventional catheter-based intervention. Actually PTMR requires femoral approach to utilize 8F-9F system device. We now report the feasibility study of PTMR using a laser delivered through a novel Eclipse system and new 6F and 7F guiding catheters that allow to perform PTMR even in patients with peripheral vascular disease and particularly suitable for alternative small vascular access.


METHODS
Percutaneous vascular access for PTMR treatment was obtained via the femoral or radial artery. A 6F or 7F mono-directional catheter carrying flexible fiber optics was used with a Holmium laser (Eclipse system) and was placed across the aortic valve into the left ventricular cavity to create channels of 5 mm in depth from the endocardial surface into the myocardial tissue. From June 1999 to September 2000, 39 patients (28 males, 11 females, mean age 72 +/- 8 years, range 58-86 years) underwent PTMR with the Eclipse system. Preoperative mean Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) angina class was 3.5 +/- 0.5 and previous myocardial procedures had been performed in 39 patients (18 coronary artery bypass graft and 31 coronary angioplasty).


RESULTS
The procedure was well tolerated and a procedural success was obtained in all patients (100%). We performed a mean of 19 +/- 7 channels in a mean fluoroscopy time of 21 +/- 9 min. We report only one procedural complication: one embolic stroke (2.4%). No hospital major adverse cardiac events were observed. The average length of hospital stay was 3.1 days. The mean CCS angina class at entry was 3.5 and it declined from 3.5 +/- 0.5 to 1.25 +/- 0.8 at discharge. At the follow-up of 8.2 +/- 3.9 months the mean CCS was 1.5 +/- 0.7.


CONCLUSIONS
This experience confirmed the safety and technical feasibility of PTMR with this mini-invasive approach with a reduction in operative and fluoroscopy time. The PTMR with the 6F or 7F guiding catheter is feasible in high risk patients even when the femoral approach is contraindicated. Immediate and short-term results confirm that a clinical improvement is obtained in most patients.
Galli
M
M
Cardiology Department, S. Anna Hospital, Como, Italy. emodin@tiscalinet.it
Mameli
S
S
Butti
E
E
Bonatti
R
R
Politi
A
A
Zerboni
S
S
Ferrari
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004867:Equipment Design; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D009204:Myocardial Revascularization / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*