Heart Help with Just the Right Timing
www.restorationheartcare.com
Charles Jones knows firsthand the benefits of the new Enhanced External Counterpulsation treatment – since he’s been going through the procedure, he’s been feeling better, walking better and, best of all, he’s avoided heart surgery.
Enhanced External Counterpulsation, or EECP for short, is a nonsurgical, noninvasive procedure designed to help people suffering from heart conditions such as angina. Patients lie on a table and three cuffs are wrapped around their calves, thighs and buttocks. An air compressor inflates and deflates the cuffs, which helps move blood from the patient’s lower limbs to the heart. Each wave of pressure is timed with the heartbeat so the blood flows at peak times and the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood to the rest of the body.
“I took 50 treatments, and they’ve been wonderful,” Jones said. “I’m hoping to get some more treatments because they’ve done wonders. I do feel better.”
Jones had had trouble walking prior to the EECP treatments, but he says the procedure makes him feel well enough to walk around his home and the grocery store. He has more energy now and hasn’t had to have any heart surgery.
Clinical studies show more than 75 percent of patients benefit from EECP therapy, and the benefits can last as long as three years post-treatment. It’s covered by most insurance policies, with no out-of-pocket expense to the patient. It’s pain-free and much safer and cheaper than heart surgery.
Angina occurs when the heart muscles don’t get enough blood to pump properly. This can cause pain during physical activity, when the heart is pumping fastest and needs the most oxygen. In most people, angina is caused by coronary artery disease. EECP is considered a safe and effective alternative to surgery, or at least a way to prolong the need for surgery, for patients who suffer from angina and similar heart conditions. It’s an outpatient procedure that doesn’t require any anesthetic.
