COUNTER-PULSATION (EECP)
Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a noninvasive technique to treat chronic stable chest pain (angina). Angina occurs when the heart muscle does not get enough blood and oxygen to support the work it is doing. Many people experience angina during exertion – when the heart has to work harder and needs more oxygen. EECP is designed to reduce the heart’s workload while increasing the amount of oxygen-rich blood reaching the heart, thereby relieving angina pain.
EECP was approved by the FDA in 1997; however, the idea behind it was developed in the 1950s. In EECP, 3 air cuffs are placed on each of your legs – one on the calf, one on the lower thigh, and one on the upper thigh. You lie on a table and are hooked up to an electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor (small, sticky patches will be placed on your chest). The ECG measures your heart’s electrical activity, and the cuffs inflate and deflate in response to these signals. When the heart relaxes between heartbeats (the period known as diastole), the 3 cuffs rapidly inflate in succession from the calf to the upper thigh. This propels blood back to the heart. The cuffs quickly deflate just before the next heartbeat.
This inflation/deflation cycle occurs about 60 to 80 times per minute during an EECP session. Sessions last approximately 1 to 2 hours and are scheduled once a day. A full course of EECP treatment lasts 7 weeks, with about 35 hours of treatment time.
EECP is a noninvasive procedure, meaning that you are not cut open. There are no needle pricks, either. This means that EECP is very low risk. You also don’t need to take any special medication before or after the procedure, and you can go home immediately after the treatment. The most common adverse side effects are skin abrasions, bruising, or blistering due to the inflatable cuffs. Some people also feel minor pain in their legs and back. (Sources: National Institutes of Health, Heart Healthy Women, Cardiovascular Research Foundation)
