Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) is a treatment for angina pectoris involving sequential inflation of cuffs (like a blood pressure cuff on the arm) on the lower legs and thighs. The cuffs are inflated during the relaxation phase of each heartbeat, timed by a continuous EKG tracing at the same time. The treatments last one hour and are usually performed once, sometimes twice, a day, about 5 days per week for a total of 35 hours.
The treatment has been shown to produce improvement in blood flow to the heart that may last for up to 2 to 3 years in some patients, presumably due to the growth of new blood vessels in the heart muscle. Because the treatment has not been found to be better than the usual treatments for heart disease (angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery), it is not considered first-line treatment, but rather is used for those who have not improved with attempts at angioplasty or bypass, or in those for whom the risks of these procedures seem too high.
However, medical studies have found that EECP does work, and those who don't want to accept the possible complications of the first-line treatments may opt for it. Side effects seem to be minimal; however, EECP should not be performed on people with uncontrolled heart failure, uncontrolled irregular heart rhythms, severe heart valve problems, bleeding or blood-clotting problems, severe peripheral vascular disease (very poor circulation to the limbs), or blood clots in the legs.
There are facilities across the US that offer EECP. You can locate the one nearest you by contacting the company that makes the EECP device. You can check on the Internet at www.vasomedical.com. Click on the "locate treatment" button and a map of the US will appear. Then select your state for a list of facilities. If you don’t have Internet access, you may call the company at (516) 997-4600 or (800) 455-3327, or write to them at Vasomedical, Inc, 180 Linden Avenue, Westbury, CT 11590 for more information.
