‘An amazing relief’: implant offers hope for those with refractory angina

A new study has revealed that an implant designed to alleviate the symptoms of refractory angina has brought a significant reduction in chest pain for 75% of patients within six months of its placement. Refractory angina is a form of heart disease that continues to cause problems despite the use of medication, stents, and heart bypass surgery.

The implant, known as a coronary sinus reducer (CSR), was inserted in the chest of 64-year-old patient Cristian Jensen, who previously experienced an attack every week due to sharp, severe chest pain. Since receiving the implant in 2021, Jensen has had an attack only once every few weeks, allowing him to walk further and faster, and no longer worry about climbing stairs. He expresses that the implant has had a profound impact on his confidence, allowing him to live his life more freely without constant limitations.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Ranil de Silva, who co-led the study, explains that the device works by narrowing a vein at the back of the heart, redirecting blood flow to oxygen-deprived areas of the heart muscle. The CSR implant is a small, hourglass-shaped device implanted through keyhole surgery in the neck. Despite its potential as a gamechanger for refractory angina patients, the NHS has yet to approve funding for wider access to the treatment, with only a small fraction of the 300,000 affected individuals having received the implant.