There is hope for patients who have chronic chest pain (angina), which is not relieved by medication and/or when surgery is not advisable (or when patients choose not to have surgery).
EECP (Enhanced External Counter-Pulsation) is a painless, completely non-invasive method to treat patients with intractable chest pain. Our success rate in eliminating or substantially reducing chest pain is about 80%. So far, we have seen the positive results lasting for several years. A patient receives this therapy five days per week for seven weeks in one-hour sessions. During each therapy session, patients recline on a bed and are connected to a system that rapidly inflates and deflates blood pressure cuffs that are wrapped around the legs.
Synchronized with the patient’s heartbeat, this pulsing around the legs actually, over time, causes the heart to grow new collateral blood vessels, which can bypass the blocked arteries that are causing the pain. This does not replace open heart surgery, but is very useful in improving quality of life for those with otherwise untreatable angina. .