They have less chest pain and can do more. We feel it is a technology worth studying further to define its place in our treatment strategy for these patients with severe symptoms and few other options. There are more than 7 million patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease in the United States and an estimated 350,000 new cases each year. As this population grows, so does the group for whom medications or the standard procedures won t work. EECP gives this group of patients another possible option.
Patients often watch television during the treatment.
Others bring compact disks or cassette players to listen to music or audiobooks. The entire process from the patient s arrival to departure takes between one and one half to two hours. Most patients tolerate the therapy with few side effects. The common side effects are mild headache, mild dizziness, fatigue or muscle aches. A small number of patients develop pressure sores or bruising from the cuff inflation.