Long-term effects of spinal cord stimulation on angina symptoms and quality of life in patients with refractory angina pectoris—results from the European Angina Registry Link Study (EARL)

ObjectiveTo assess the long-term effect of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) on angina symptoms and quality of life in patients with refractory angina pectoris defined as severe angina due to coronary artery disease resistant to conventional pharmacological therapy and/or revascularisation.MethodsDuring 2003–2005, all patients with refractory angina referred for SCS treatment at 10 European centres were consecutively included in the European registry for refractory angina (European Angina Registry Link, EARL), a prospective, 3-year follow-up study. In the present study, the SCS-treated patients were followed-up regarding angina symptoms and quality of life assessed was with a generic (Short Form 36, SF-36) and a disease-specific (Seattle Angina Questionnaire, SAQ) quality of life questionnaire.ResultsIn total, 235 patients were included in the study. After screening, 121 patients were implanted and followed up 12.1 months after implantation. The implanted patients reported fewer angina attacks (p