A new method of myocardial revascularization by laser.

There are some problems in surgical treatment for those patients with small branches or diffuse stenotic lesions of the coronary arteries, for whom coronary artery bypass grafting can not be carried out at all. To resolve these problems, we have planned to supply arterial blood from the left ventricle into the ischemic myocardium through holes cut into the myocardium by laser. It was clearly recognized that arterial blood could be hemodynamically supplied from the left ventricle into the ischemic myocardium. In trials on dogs laser holes 0.2 mm in diameter have been shown microscopically to be patent even 3 years after their creation, thus this procedure could be used as a new method of myocardial revascularization. Consequently, myocardial revascularization by laser was employed in a 55-year-old male patient with severe angina pectoris who had undergone pericardiectomy 2 years before. He is doing well 5 years and 3 months after surgery.