What is EECP?
How does EECP work?
How can I prepare for this procedure?
What are the clinical benefits of the treatment?
When do I experience the improvement?
What can I expect during the treatment?
How can I prepare for this procedure?
What evidence is there that EECP can be beneficial?
Are there any side effects or risks?
Is this Treatment is performed globally?
What is EECP?
EECP is a US-FDA approved, Noninvasive (Non-Surgical), clinically proved, safe and effective and atraumatic procedure that can reduce the symptoms of angina pectoris, presumably by increasing coronary blood flow in ischemic areas of the heart.
The procedure is administered in an out patient setting, does not require surgery and anesthesia and relatively comfortable for patient.
When applied over time, EECP can reduce the frequency and severity of angina episode, improve exercise capacity and may even reduce the need for medication.
The beneficial effects of EECP on perfusion of the ischemic myocardium in patients with coronary artery disease appear to be sustained between treatments, and may persist long after completion of a course of therapy.
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How does EECP work?
EECP enhances blood flow to the heart and coronary arteries by squeezing blood out of the lower parts of the body up towards the heart. It is also called “Natural By Pass” .EECP stimulate the growth of new blood vessels (collateral Formation) around blocked arteries.
- You will be lying comfortably on special therapy bed.
- Your pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation is monitored prior to initiating treatment.
- Pair of three adjustable cuffs are wrapped around your calves, lower thigh and upper thigh including buttocks.
- You are hooked upto an ECG interpreted micro-processor to activate the cuff.
- Cuffs inflate sequentially starting with the calf cuff then lower thigh and lastly the upper thigh including the buttocks at the onset of diastole and cuffs deflate abruptly just prior to systole,allowing a rapid drop in vascular impedance and consequently, cardiac after load.
- After completion of one hour treatment again your vitals (pulse. BP and oxygen saturation) will be checked
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How can I prepare for this procedure?
During each visit and before the treatment begins, the EECP treatment staff will measure and record your blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation and respiratory rates. The staff will also look at your legs to check for areas of redness, broken blood vessels, or signs of other vascular problems.
Before your treatment, try to urinate so that you won’t experience discomfort during the session. To prevent irritation or skin chafing during the procedure, try to wear tight-fitting, seamless leggings or bicycle pants made of elastic material.
If the pulsating sensation from the cuffs becomes uncomfortable, tell the doctor immediately so that the treatment can be stopped.
Your EECP doctor might recommend that you keep a daily diary of your angina symptoms during the course of your treatment. For example, record each angina attack, its time of occurrence, duration, severity, its relationship to precipitating factors, and the number of nitroglycerin tablets you used to ease the attack.
You should continue to take your angina medication at regular prescribed dosages throughout the course of treatment, and talk to your doctor as required.
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What are the clinical benefits of the treatment?
EECP helps reduce the frequency and intensity of chest pain for the short and long-term, many people who undergo treatment experience an improved sense of well-being and overall improvement in their quality of life.
Decrease the need for medication.
After receiving EECP, patient often are able to enjoy moderate exercise for the first time since they developed angina pectoris, can walk farther, and be more active without having chest pain, can return to work, go out to the dinner, garden, travel or enjoy their life once again, they no longer restrict their social lives, volunteer activities or exercise because of they are worried that they will cause angina. Hence improves the overall quality of life.
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When do I experience the improvement?
Since individual conditions differ, there is no specific time when you might expect to feel better. Most people experience some improvement after 10-12 sessions. Others require a longer period of time to notice a difference in their angina symptoms so for that patient we have to prolong the treatment duration from 35 hours to 45 hours.
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What can I expect during the treatment?
The initial course of EECP therapy involves 35 consecutive one-hour sessions, once or twice each day, for approximately 7 weeks. During an EECP center visit, you will lie on a bed and the treatment supervisor will wrap blood pressure-type cuffs around your calves and lower and upper thighs. Cardiac monitoring wires will be attached to your chest to record your heartbeat. The cuffs are then inflated and deflated in sequence, placing pressure on your legs. The pumping action helps blood flow from the lower limbs to your heart, while reducing your heart's workload.
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How can I prepare for this procedure?
During each visit and before the treatment begins, the EECP treatment staff will measure and record your blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation and respiratory rates. The staff will also look at your legs to check for areas of redness, broken blood vessels, or signs of other vascular problems.
Before your treatment, try to urinate so that you won’t experience discomfort during the session. To prevent irritation or skin chafing during the procedure, try to wear tight-fitting, seamless leggings or bicycle pants made of elastic material.
If the pulsating sensation from the cuffs becomes uncomfortable, tell the doctor immediately so that the treatment can be stopped.
Your EECP doctor might recommend that you keep a daily diary of your angina symptoms during the course of your treatment. For example, record each angina attack, its time of occurrence, duration, severity, its relationship to precipitating factors, and the number of nitroglycerin tablets you used to ease the attack.
You should continue to take your angina medication at regular prescribed dosages throughout the course of treatment, and talk to your doctor as required.
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What evidence is there that EECP can be beneficial?
Published reports have found that EECP is a relatively safe and effective option for certain people with angina. The Multicenter Study of Enhanced External Counterpulsation (MUST-EECP) randomly assigned 139 people with angina from seven US hospitals to receive either active EECP or a placebo (inactive) procedure for 35 hours over four to seven weeks.
About two-thirds of the people receiving EECP benefited from the treatment. Compared with the people who received the placebo procedure, those who completed the active EECP sessions had significantly less angina and tended to need less nitroglycerin. Also, people who received the active EECP were able to exercise longer before experiencing chest pain. Ten people dropped out of the study because of adverse events – half of them because of leg pain or chafing. The study was published in the June 1999 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
EECP appears to have both short-term and long-term benefits. A study published in the April 2000 issue of Clinical Cardiology reported results in 33 patients with coronary heart disease who received EECP. After five years, 64 percent did not need bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty and did not have a major adverse cardiovascular event. This rate is similar to that found in many people who are treated with bypass surgery or angioplasty.
A more recent study showed that the procedure relieves angina and improves perfusion (blood flow to the heart) during stress in patients with coronary artery disease. The research was published in the April 1, 2002 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.
Doctors are uncertain exactly how EECP helps ease angina. The procedure may stimulate the growth of tiny blood vessels in the heart and help bypass blocked blood vessels. This would increase blood flow and oxygen.
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Are there any side effects or risks?
Most people who have EECP tolerate the therapy with no major discomfort, side effects or complications. The most common side effects are fatigue or muscle aches. A small number of people develop pressure sores, skin irritation or bruising from the cuff inflation.
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Is this Treatment is performed globally?
EECP is performed at more than 650 locations throughout the united states as well as in other countries like India, china, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Canada, Argentina, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Germany, Columbia, United Kingdom and Turkey.
Macter International (Pvt) Limited have exclusively marketing rights for EECP in Pakistan and its EECP centers are available in Karachi and Islamabad.
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