What is EECP Therapy?
For people with angina, even simple activities, such as going to the mailbox or walking the dog, can be challenging. If you are one of these people, or know someone who is, take heart. There is a non-invasive treatment called EECP® Therapy available here at Upland Hills Health.
EECP® Therapy is an outpatient treatment for angina. Treatments are usually given for an hour each day, five days a week, for a total of 35 hours. During the treatment, you lie on a comfortable treatment table with large blood pressure-like cuffs wrapped around your legs and buttocks. These cuffs inflate and deflate at specific times between your heartbeats. A continuous electro cardiogram (ECG) is used to set the timing so the cuffs inflate while the heart is at rest, when it normally gets its supply of blood and oxygen. The cuffs deflate at the end of that rest period, just before the next heart beat.
The special sensor applied to your finger checks the oxygen level in your blood and monitors the pressure waves created by the cuff inflations and deflations. Approximately 80% of patients who completed the 35-hour course of EECP® Therapy experience significant symptom relief that may last up to three years. Since installing our EECP treatment table at UHH, nearly 50 patients have benefited from this unique therapy option. Only seven hospitals in Wisconsin provide this therapy.
How can I start EECP Therapy?
You will need a referral from your doctor to start EECP therapy. Make an appointment to discuss EECP with your provider. If you have more questions about EECP therapy, visit http://www.eecp.com or call our Heart, Lung and Sleep Center at 930-7160. Referring providers can fax to 608.930.7253.
