Enhanced External
Counter-pulsation (EECP):
A new, noninvasive treatment for Angina
 By
By Charles Mild, MD
Cardiologist
Enhanced External Counter-pulsation (EECP) is a painless,
noninvasive treatment for angina. The term angina is really a
Latin word that means chest pain. Angina is one of the first
symptoms of coronary artery disease, a condition that clogs the
arteries and reduces the supply of oxygen to the heart. When a
person has coronary artery disease, vigorous or stressful
activities strain a heart that’s already struggling to get the
oxygen it needs. This strain usually results in chest pain.
However, angina is not a heart attack. People with angina
generally have frequent chest pain, especially during strenuous
exercise. Usually, the pain lasts for just a few minutes and
then goes away with rest.
Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) is a simple
procedure requiring no medication, sutures, or recovery time.
The patient lies on a padded table, and special cuffs, similar
to those used to measure blood pressure, are wrapped around the
calves and thighs. Timed with the patient’s heartbeat, the cuffs
pneumatically inflate and deflate, increasing blood flow to the
heart. The procedure lasts one hour and is scheduled once per
week day for 35 sessions. After each treatment, the patient
returns home to resume normal activity.
Patients are experiencing tremendous success with the new
EECP technology. After undergoing EECP treatments, many patients
-- whose weakness had previously kept them from walking even
short distances -- are able to walk from the parking lot to the
unit where EECP is performed. EECP may be an excellent option
for people with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease, but
already on appropriate medicine to treat their chest pain. In
addition, EECP may help individuals who are not good candidates
for surgery or angioplasty. Patients receiving this safe and
relatively painless treatment report fewer episodes of angina,
along with the ability to be more active.
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