Management of chronic intractable angina - spinal opioids offer an alternative therapy.

The successful treatment of chronic intractable angina by spinally administered opioids via an Algomed drug delivery device (hereinafter called the pump) is reported in seven patients. All patients had at least two prior cardiac surgeries and the duration of minimally controlled chronic intractable angina varied from 5 to 19 years prior to spinally administered opioids. The duration of effective spinally administered analgesia to either the epidural (two cases) or intrathecal (five cases) spaces varied from 2 to 7 years.