With the growing age of the population, the proportion of elderly patients with diffuse coronary artery disease and severe comorbidities is increasing. The characteristics of these patients render them unsuitable for currently recognized revascularization procedures (CABG, PTCA). Therefore, there is an urgent need for new treatment modalities which could alleviate their symptoms and increase blood flow to the ischemic myocardium, while being less invasive for their fragile condition. The aim of this book is to provide an anatomical and physiological background as well as a complete review of...

With the growing age of the general population, the proportion of elderly patients with diffuse coronary artery disease and severe comorbidities is increasing. When medical therapy cannot relieve the symptoms in these patients, their characteristics render them unsuitable for currently rec ognized invasive procedures, namely coronary artery bypass grafting and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty. There is an urgent need for new treatment modalities which can alleviate their symptoms and increase blood flow to the ischemic myocardium while being less inva sive for their fragile condition....