CENTENNIAL MEDICAL CENTER PERFORMS FIRST ROBOTICALLY-ASSISTED LASER PROCEDURE FOR THE TREATMENT OF ANGINA

Louis A. Brunsting, III M.D. Performs Advanced TMR Technique at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville

NASHVILLE, TN-June 13, 2005 –Centennial Medical Center today announced the completion of the first robotically-assisted completely endoscopic transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR), a new treatment aimed at improving blood flow to areas of the heart for the treatment of angina, a condition that affects more than a quarter of a million Americans.

Centennial Medical Center is the first hospital to use a robot in a TMR procedure which utilizes small port holes instead of a larger incision and spreading of the ribs. By operating through port holes, patients have less scarring and shorter recovery time. Traditionally, patients with coronary artery disease are treated with interventional procedures such as angioplasty and stenting, coronary artery bypass and medications to improve blood flow to the heart muscle. TMR is used in patients who have severe angina but are not capable of having by-pass surgery or stents.

Centennial Medical Center cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Louis A. Brunsting, performed the surgery on a 58-year old Middle Tennessee man who was suffering from end-stage coronary artery disease. A special optical fiber, developed by Cardiogenesis ®, uses laser energy to create small channels in the heart muscle, improving blood flow in the heart. “Our goal in implementing robotically assisted TMR is to provide well documented patient benefits, such as less pain and medication, with significantly reduced procedural morbidity and related hospitalization,” said Dr. Brunsting.

Having performed more than 130 robotically-assisted, endoscopic cardiothoracic procedures, Dr. Brunsting has significant experience in this type of surgery. He also has conducted many open TMR surgeries. With his partner—Robert S. Binford, M.D.—Dr. Brunsting has trained physicians from the U.S., Japan and Australia on the Intuitive Surgical da Vinci robotic system. Dr. Brunsting is the principal investigator in a small, FDA-mandated study to demonstrate the safety and feasibility of closed chest, robotically-assisted TMR at multiple centers.  Centennial was the first medical center in Tennessee to perform robotic cardiac bypass surgery and has developed the third busiest cardiac robotic program in the country.  

If you would like more information on this procedure or are interested in participating in the endoscopic transmyocardial laser revascularization FDA trial, please, call TriStar Medline at
615-342-1919 or 800-242-5662.

Centennial Medical Center, part of TriStar Health System, is a 615-bed tertiary facility that has been accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  Centennial Medical Center has been recognized as one of the country’s 100 Top Hospitals in cardiovascular medicine, stroke service, orthopedics, and breast cancer management.