Laser technique may cure angina

Scientists appear to have developed a cure for angina. The New England Journal of Medicine reports research involving the use of a laser to drill holes in heart muscle to restore blood flow. The laser is used to cut 15 to 30 one millimetre diameter holes into the heart. The heart's outer layer seals immediately, but the channels remain, allowing fresh blood to reach oxygen-starved tissues. The firing of the laser beam is synchronised with the patient's heartbeat, so the surgeons can work without having to stop the heart.