Sanford Cardiovascular Surgery

Special procedures

Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR)

A surgical procedure called transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) offers new hope.

For patients with mild angina, a combination of medications and lifestyle changes such as exercising and quitting a smoking habit is often effective at alleviating the pain. For patients with more serious angina, surgical procedures such as cardiac catheterization or angioplasty may be necessary. For those who continue to suffer severe angina despite medical intervention, however, there has been little to offer.

Until now.

TMR is a laser surgery that opens tiny new pathways within the heart muscle via precise bursts of laser energy. TMR has been shown to improve blood flow to the heart, which means more oxygen reaches the heart and thus less chest pain.

You may be a candidate for the TMR procedure if:

• You have angina due to advanced cardiovascular disease
• You have healthy heart muscle around the affected blood vessels
• Your angina cannot be managed with medications or these medications are causing serious side effects

For more information, visit with your heart care doctor or call Sanford Cardiology at
(701) 323-5202. If TMR is an option for you, you will be referred to Sanford's cardiac surgery department. Sean Russell, MD and Timothy Pansegrau, MD are board-certified cardiothoracic surgeons with special training in TMR procedures.