Heart Laser (TMR)  

New laser technology provides pain relief to heart patients

The Cardio-Thoracic Surgeons of Heart & Vascular Care, a division of The Iowa Clinic, P.C. are pleased to announce a new breakthrough laser technology that can provide pain relief to patients with coronary artery disease.

The new treatment, Transmyocardial Revascularization (TMR), uses a carbon dioxide (CO2) heart laser system. The procedure creates bloodlines in the patient?s heart, which increase blood flow and deliver pain relief. TMR is performed through an incision in the chest and does not require that the patient be placed on a heart-lung bypass machine. During the procedure, the surgeon places the laser on the wall of the heart, and when the laser is activated, a new bloodline is created in less than one millisecond. Recovery is quicker and less traumatic than in standard open-heart procedures. "These bloodlines allow oxygenated blood to access those parts of the heart that previously were not receiving adequate blood flow and were causing the patient significant chest pain," said Ronald K. Grooters, M.D., cardio-thoracic surgeon for Heart & Vascular Care. Dr. Grooters believes this breakthrough laser surgery could be the answer for patients who suffer from debilitating angina and have exhausted other options in their efforts to get relief from their symptoms.