ENHANCED EXTERNAL COUNTERPULSATION (EECP) IS A US FDA APPROVED TREAMTENT USED FOR STABLE ANGINA, CAD AND PERSONS SUFFERING FROM LV DYSFUNCTION. IT’S AN HOUR LONG NON INVASIVE PROCEDURE FOR 35 DAYS DONE ON AN OUT PATIENT BASIS. VARIOUS STUDIES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN SUPPORT OF EECP THERAPY FOR WHICH IT CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO ANGIOPLASTY AND BYPASS SURGERY. STUDIES HAVE ALSO BEEN DONE TO SEEN CLINICAL BENEFITS AFTER A CERTAIN TIME OF COMPLETION OF EECP TREATMENT.
IN ONE SUCH STUDY PUBLISHED IN AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY ONLINE ARTICLE PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 1 20016 (VOLUME 97 ISSUE 1) TO ASSESS THE CLINICAL OUTCOME AFTER 2 YEARS OF EECP TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH REFRACTORY ANGINA AND LV DYSFUCNTION. MOST PATIENTS TAKEN UP FOR THE STUDY INITIALLY REPORTED QUALITY OF LIFE AS POOR. AFTER TREATMENT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN ANGINA. 72% IMPROVED FROM SEVERE ANGINA TO NO ANGINA OR MILD ANGINA. 52% DISCONTINUED USE OF NITROGLYCERIN. QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVED SUSBTANTIALLY. AFTER 2 YRS THIS LEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT WAS MAINTAINED AT 55%. 2 YEAR SURVIVAL RATE WAS 83% AND MAJOR ADVERSE CARDIOVASULAR EVENT FREE SURVIVAL RATE WAS 70%. 43% HAD NO REPORTED CARDIAC HOSPITALISATION AND 81% HAD NO REPORTED CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.
SUCH STUDIES INDICATE BENEIFTS OF EECP WHERE PATIENTS WITH LV DYSFUNCTION NOT ONLY IMPROVE SYMPTOMATICALLY BUT THEIR SURVIVAL RATE ALSO INCREASES. EECP IS NOT ONLY BENEFICIAL FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERE LV DYSFUNCTION BUT CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO BYPASS SURGERY AND ANGIOPLASTY WHO DONT WANT TO GET OPERATED UPON OR WHO CANNOT UNDERGO OPERATION DUE TO RISK FACTORS.