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What
is External Counter Pulsation? |
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External Counter
Pulsation (ECP) is a non-invasive, non surgical outpatient
treatment for the patients suffering from Coronary
Artery Disease and Heart Failure. Clinical studies
over the past several years have shown that most patients
treated with single course of ECP, experience a reduction
in angina and are able to return to an active life
style. The beneficial effects of ECP persists for
upto five years or more.
Generic name of this
treatment modality is "External Counter Pulsation
(ECP)", whereas EECP, SECP, AECP, IECP are registered
brand names. |
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Who
will be benefitted by ECP? |
Following type
of heart patients suffering from Angina, Myocardial
Infarction (Heart Attack) and congestive Heart Failure
benefit from ECP:
• Who suffer even on maximum medicines
• Who are not fit for angioplasty or bypass
surgery
• Who do not want angioplasty or bypass surgery
• Cardiogenic shock |
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| ECP
is also helpful in patients having |
• High blood
pressure due to Kidney Diseases
• Brain Diseases like Cerebral Arteriosclerosis
/ Thrombosis / Embolism
• Chronic Fatigue (Tiredness) Syndrome |
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| What
does ECP do? |
ECP causes immediate
and sustained increase in heart blood supply by:
• Dilating coronary blood vessels
• Opening dormant (unused) collateral vessels
• Forming new blood vessels (angiogenesis) |
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| How
patients will know that they are better? |
Patients have
symptomatic and clinical relief. There is reduced
need for medicines, reduced frequency and intensity
of chest pain, increased exercise tolerance, improved
sense of well being and overall improvement in quality
of life. Patients are able to lead a more active life. |
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| How
is ECP done? |
ECP is conducted
on patients lying on a bed wearing a series of pressure
cuffs (like large blood pressure cuffs) tied around
the calves, thighs, and buttock.
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Synchronised electronically
with the heartbeat, the cuffs inflate and deflate
and move the blood from the legs towards the heart.
The increased blood flow is delivered to the heart
at the precise moment at the time of its relaxation
when blood flow through the coronary vessels is at
its peak. When the heart pumps again, the pressure
in cuffs are deflated instantaneously.
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| Will
angiography or stress thallium show improvement? |
The blood flow
of the heart muscle is not proportionate to the degree
of narrowing in a coronary artery. Angiography is
done to see the narrowing in large coronary vessels.
It is extremely suitable to identify stenosis, which
is essential for angioplasty and bypass surgery. However
angiography cannot visualize small arteries like arterioles
and capillaries and cannot assess overall blood flow
in a particular area of heart. For this purpose Stress
Thallium and Cardiovascular Cartography are required.
Improvement with ECP has also been documented by Stress
Thallium Test.
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