Abbreviated TMR, use of a laser to open small channels in the heart muscle to restore blood flow in patients with angina associated with advanced coronary artery disease. This procedure is used when other surgical interventions are not viable.
The use of a laser to bore tiny channels directly through the wall of the heart in an attempt to bring oxygen-rich blood from the left ventricular cavity to areas where the heart muscle is oxygen-deprived, or ischemic. TMR is a potential alternative to coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty, especially in patients with complex plaques that would be difficult to reach with standard interventions or in patients who have already undergone many other procedures without effect. A variant of TMR is percutaneous myocardial revascularization.