Nonsurgical Options

Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP)

If you experience angina but your doctor has determined you are not a good candidate for bypass surgery or angioplasty, you may want to consider EECP.

EECP is a noninvasive therapy that improves the flow of healthy, oxygenated blood to the heart by opening or forming small blood vessels that create natural bypasses around narrowed or blocked arteries.

During treatment you will lie on a padded bed with a series of blood pressure cuffs placed around each leg. An EKG triggers the cuffs to inflate and deflate in correlation with your own heart beat, thereby pumping oxygenated blood throughout the body while helping to relieve strain and exertion on your heart muscle.

Many patients experience dramatic reduction of angina pain after only a few treatments.