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Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) at the Post-COVID Cardiovascular Center of Orange County
(P-CCCOC)
WHAT IS EECP?
EECP therapy is a safe, non-invasive, outpatient treatment option for patients suffering from ischemic heart diseases such as angina/coronary artery disease and heart failure. EECP therapy has helped thousands of patients. In fact, clinical studies show that over 75% of patients benefit from EECP therapy and sustain improvement for up to three years post- treatment.
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EECP therapy works by increasing the blood and oxygen supply to the heart muscle and decreasing the amount of work the heart must do to pump blood to the rest of the body. While the heart is at rest, treatment cuffs inflate from the calves to the thighs to the buttocks, which increases the blood supply to the arteries feeding the heart muscle. Just before the next heartbeat, all the cuffs simultaneously deflate, decreasing the heart’s workload.
EECP SAFETY
Through decades of research and clinical application, EECP has proven to be a safe and well-tolerated treatment among patients. The most frequent side effect is mild skin irritation resulting from the repeated inflation and deflation of the cuffs placed around the legs. P-CCCOC patients are given special protective pants to minimize the friction generated by the treatment.
EECP EFFICACY
Multiple large-scale studies into the efficacy of EECP in the treatment of angina pectoris led to its FDA approval in 1995. Since then, a high volume of studies have investigated the treatment's potential for treating non-cardiovascular conditions, with very promising results. Today, the treatment is used in a wide variety of conditions ranging from erectile dysfunction to ischemic stroke.
At P-CCCOC, we are privileged with the opportunity to offer this unique treatment to patients seeking relief from long COVID symptoms.
EECP & LONG COVID
The most common symptoms of long COVID include chest pain, dyspnea (difficulty breathing), fatigue, and cognitive impairment or so-called "brain fog." These symptoms are believed result from prolonged inflammatory responses in the body and/or autonomic dysregulation triggered by COVID-19 infection.
EECP's success in treating long COVID patients seems to be linked to its proven anti-inflammatory properties and its clinically-observed ability to improve autonomic function.
