If conventional treatments fail to provide relief for your angina, you may be suffering needlessly. Instead, you could be a good candidate for a trial of spinal cord stimulation.

Spinal cord stimulation is appropriate for patients who suffer from intractable angina even after maximal medical therapy. In addition, if you are not suitable for revascularization procedures because of multiple bypass procedures in the past, unfavorable coronary anatomy, or have complicating concurrent diseases such as diabetes or respiratory failure, spinal cord stimulation maybe appropriate for you.

Angina pectoris is often managed my cardiologists. If you have chronic unstable angina that just does not respond to medical therapy, a neurosurgeon can implant a spinal cord stimulator as an outpatient procedure.

References

Murphy DF, Giles KE. Dorsal column stimulation for pain relief from intractable anginal pectoris. Pain 1987;28:365-8.

Svordkal N. Treatment of inoperable coronary disease and refractory angina: spinal stimulators, epidurals, gene therapy, transmyocardial laser, and counterpulsation. Semin Cardiothor Vasc Anesth 2004;8:43-58.