EECP is an out patient procedure used to assist the heart in providing the oxygenated blood flow to the heart muscle. EECP Therapy is a treatment option alternative treatment option for patients that are not good candidates for invasive surgery such as PTCA or Bipass surgery.
In the past, patients with Aortic Stenosis has been considered a relative risk or contraindication for undergoing External Counterpulsation Therapy. It wasn’t until recently where this was carefully studied.
There was a recent article published in Clinical Cardiology (36,2,82-87) 2013 that investigated the risk in treatment angina patients with Aortic Stenosis. Many have been concerned about the changes in patient hemodynamics brought about from the treatment. The study was conducted at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Pennsylvania by physicians Debra Braverman MD, Len Braitman PHD, and Vincent M. Figeuredo MD. The goal of the study was to determine whether the benefits of reducing myocardial ischemia will result in less symptoms in patients with Aortic Stenosis.
The study consisted on 43 patients with AS. The results showed that 35 of the total 43 patients with AS and 38 of the 43 patients without AS improved in the Anginal Classification (reducing ischemia). Both groups with and without AS showed similar reduction in diastolic blood pressure. The results were congruent with the hypothesis put for prior to the study which further illustrates that EECP is a safe and effective treatment for reducing symptoms of ischemic heart disease for both patients with and without Aortic Stenosis.
