EECP Treatment For Heart Blockage Without Surgery Click to read full blog Overview Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a non-invasive treatment for coronary artery disease patients who have severe angina and those who are considered to be candidates for angioplasty or bypass surgery may benefit from external counter pulsation (ECP). Some patients with high risk of heart failure also have had good results with the treatment. The most popular benefit is also that EECP may promote collateral development and improve myocardial perfusion also improves the quality of life . What Is EECP? This non-invasive procedure is believed to help the growth of new blood vessels in the heart naturally and improves the flow of existing blood vessels. ECP is highly recommended when physicians have exhausted with other therapies and treatments. ECP also be used in addition to bypass surgery and angioplasty to enha...
EECP Treatment For Heart Blockage Without Surgery
Overview
Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a non-invasive treatment for coronary artery disease patients who have severe angina and those who are considered to be candidates for angioplasty or bypass surgery may benefit from external counter pulsation (ECP). Some patients with high risk of heart failure also have had good results with the treatment. The most popular benefit is also that EECP may promote collateral development and improve myocardial perfusion also improves the quality of life .
What Is EECP?
This non-invasive procedure is believed to help the growth of new blood vessels in the heart naturally and improves the flow of existing blood vessels. ECP is highly recommended when physicians have exhausted with other therapies and treatments. ECP also be used in addition to bypass surgery and angioplasty to enhance the benefits of these two procedures and also as alternate solution for these procedure.
EECP is a procedure in which long inflatable cuffs same as blood pressure cuffs are wrapped around both of the patient’s legs. While the patient lies on a bed, the leg cuffs are inflated and deflated synchronously with each heartbeat till 1hr session per day. The inflation and deflation are controlled by a computer automatically, Also operating with ECG machine which uses the patient’s ECG to trigger inflation early when the heart relaxes and is filled with blood, and deflation just as heart contraction begins.
The inflation of the cuffs occurs sequentially till entire session, from the lower part of the legs to the upper body , so that the blood in the legs is “milked” upwards, toward the heart and blood flow increased.
EECP has at least two potentially beneficial majorly on the heart.
- First, the action of the leg cuffs increases the blood flow to the coronary arteries during therapy same as other arteries, coronary arteries receive their blood flow in between heartbeats more easily, not during them function more easily.
- Second, with deflating when the heart begins to beat, EECP creates a vacuum flow in the arteries, which reduces the heart muscle efforts to pump blood. Moreover, It is also noted that EECP may help reduce endothelial dysfunction. EECP also improve peripheral arterial function, which serves to reduce oxygen demand in the body.
How Effective Is EECP In Heart Blockage?
Several studies suggested that EECP is most effective in treating chronic stable angina and Heart Blockages.
When a heart patient suffering from angina and also eligible for
surgery or catheter-based coronary stenting, doctor can be recommended EECP, a noninvasive treatment designed to help lower the number of heart failure risk and intensity of angina episodes.
A
small randomized trial and case studies showed that EECP significantly
improved both the symptoms of angina and exercise tolerance in people
with CVD. EECP also significantly improved the quality-of-life of heart
patient measures compared to Bypass pass or Angioplasty.
Other studies have shown that the improvement in Heart patients of EECP seems to persist for up to five years though 1 in 5 patients may require another course of EECP to maintain their improvement.
How Does EECP Work?
The basic principle of EECP treatment involves increasing the amount of blood flow towards to the heart, which helps supply more oxygen to its starved areas and to body. With more oxygen supply to heart available, the heart can function much more efficiently and therefore reduce chest pain. Some evidence suggests EECP can helps the
formation of collateral
vessels in the coronary artery tree by stimulating the release of nitric
oxide and other growth factors within the coronary arteries. The
EECP therapy treatment schedule includes 7 weeks of continuous
treatments till 35 sessions, which require daily visits for one hour
daily.
When EECP Is Recommended ?
Medicare
and American Heart Association has approved coverage for EECP for
patients with angina who have exhausted all their other choices. Individuals are eligible for treatment if they have such following:
- Had coronary artery bypass or stents placed in the coronary arteries with ongoing angina and with heart failure.
- Had no prior bypass or stenting but continue to suffer from angina pain with regular episodes.
In 2014 and in recent updates, several professional organizations finally agreed in a focused update that EECP ought to be considered for patients with angina and CVD that's not helped by other treatments. These organizations are:
Who Is Not Eligible For EECP?
However, not everyone can have EECP. Probably should not have EECP if you have such following :
- Aortic insufficiency
- Recent cardiac catheterization
- Irregular heart rhythm such as atrial fibrillation
- Severe hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Peripheral artery disease involving the legs
- A congenital heart defects
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Valvular disease
- Enlarged heart
- A pacemaker
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Heart rate over 120 beats per minute
- History of deep venous thrombosis
For anyone else cases, the procedure appears to be safe and beneficial.
What Are the Benefits Of EECP Treatment?
Preparing for EECP Treatment
No preparation is necessary or demand for ECP. In all cases, the procedure is done on an outpatient basis. It is suggested that patients wear clothes that are soft comfortable and elastic to prevent any kind of irritation from the cuffs and follow medication and exercise instructions as directed by their physician while therapy.
What to Expect During External Counter Pulsation Treatment?
An ECP treatment usually takes about one hour daily. Treatment is daily and may extend from five to twelve weeks or more approx. 35 sessions. Patients are used to lay down on a comfortable bed as its EECP machine and pneumatic stockings or cuffs are fitted to the calf and lower and upper thighs on each leg. These cuffs are hooked-up to a system which enables the physician to make adjustments to the pressure as necessary as required.
Th An ECP treatment usually takes about one hour daily. Treatment is daily and may extend from five to twelve weeks or more approx. 35 sessions. Patients are used to lay down on a comfortable bed as its EECP machine and pneumatic stockings or cuffs are fitted to the calf and lower and upper thighs on each leg. These cuffs are hooked-up to a system which enables the physician to make adjustments to the pressure as necessary as required. cuffs are channelized to inflate and deflate based on the results of an electrocardiogram (EKG), which measures heart beat rate. First, the calf cuffs inflate, followed by the lower thigh cuffs alternately, ending with the upper thigh cuffs. The cuffs deflate according to the heart starts another beat. Because ECP therapy process increases the pressure on the blood flowing through the aorta while the heart is at rest, the heart receives extra oxygen enriched blood with increased blood flow.
After External Counter Pulsation Treatment
After the in early treatments, May be a patient may feel fatigued but this is generally short-lived and varied. Over the coming weeks and with 1 to 15 sessions, as the patient progresses through the treatment, there will be noticeable increase in stamina and energy.
Patients generally are instructed to resume normal activities and daily chores immediately after an ECP treatment. However, it is always best to follow the physician's instructions which may also include not smoking, exercising, reducing stress, losing weight and maintaining a healthful diet properly on regular basis.
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