According to a new, large-scale study conducted in the UK, an innovative heart implant provides relief from severe symptoms and enables a normal life for patients with refractory angina. The study showed that 6 months after the procedure, 75% of patients experienced a significant reduction in chest pain.
Refractory angina is a form of heart disease in which pain persists despite the use of medications, stents, and bypass surgery. The new method involves using a small, hourglass-shaped device (a coronary sinus reducer) implanted near the heart through a minor surgical procedure via the patient’s neck. The implant narrows the vein at the back of the heart, redirecting blood flow toward areas of the heart muscle that suffer from severe oxygen deprivation.
One patient, 64-year-old Christian Jensen, who previously suffered up to 5 severe attacks a week and avoided physical activity, says the implant radically changed his life. Now, he experiences attacks only once a week or once every two weeks, moves freely, and no longer fears that the pain signifies another myocardial infarction.
The study, which monitored 491 patients across 19 hospitals in England and Scotland between 2014 and 2024, confirms that serious complications are rare and most patients are discharged on the same or following day.
Despite this clear success and the fact that the implant restores physical and mental well-being to patients, it is still considered an experimental treatment. Doctors note that for this device to become standard clinical practice, further clinical trials and formal funding approval from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) are required.
