Class IV laser therapy as an adjunct to primary percutaneous coronary intervention in individuals with acute coronary syndrome: A feasibility pilot study

Abstract

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the most severe clinical condition of coronary artery disease, and early reperfusion of the ischemic myocardium is the most important and standardized treatment for it. Unfortunately, reperfusion also leads to myocardial reperfusion injury (RI). Photobiomodulation/laser therapy has been found to be effective in limiting myocardial RI in a number of animal studies. This study aims to assess the feasibility and cardio-protective effects of Class IV laser therapy among patients with ACS who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Methods: Twelve patients with ACS who underwent pPCI, having a mean age of 56.08 ± 7.03, were recruited and randomly divided into two groups. Participants in the experimental group were irradiated with Class IV laser immediately within 30 min of pPCI, and for the next 2 consecutive days, whereas in the sham control group, laser probe was placed but not irradiated. The outcome measures troponin I was assessed immediately after pPCI before first intervention (T1), after 10 h (T2), and on 3rd day after intervention (T3), whereas left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was assessed on 1st and 3rd days. Results: No adverse effect was reported in any of the patients. Increase in the level of troponin I from T1 to T2 in the experimental group was less as compared to the sham control group, which was statistically significant (P = 0.02), and no statistically significant difference was observed in LVEF. Conclusion: Class IV laser therapy is a feasible, safe, and effective therapy that can be used as an adjunct to pPCI in limiting myocardial RI.

Keywords

• acute coronary syndrome
• cardioprotection
• laser therapy
• reperfusion injury