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Question:
Should my father have ESMR (extracorporeal shockwave myocardial revascularization)?
Hello, my dad has a heart problem. His 3 heart arteries are blocked. We are looking forward for a heart surgery. But my doctor suggested the ESMR (Extracorporeal shockwave myocardial revascularization) technique which is a new technology. In this ESMR, some sound waves are passed & they break/remove the blockage. So please let us know whether we should go for this technique or not. Thanks in advance.
submitted by Shamshad from India 3/15/2012
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, Surendra K. Jain, MD
ESMR is an experimental procedure. In some parts of the world, it is recommended for patients with inoperable coronary artery disease (CAD) and refractory angina. From your description, it is not clear whether your father's CAD is inoperable. and may need further tests, i.e, coronary angiography to evaluate it.
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Updated March 2012
