You should consult with your physician regarding any risk and complication factors. Unlike procedures such as bypass surgery and balloon angioplasty, EECP treatment is administered in outpatient sessions, carries little or no risk, and is relatively comfortable. Some patients with more extensive disease or who have disease of the left main coronary artery may require by pass surgery. EECP treatment is an option for patients who are unsuitable for invasive procedures or unwilling to undergo them. For patients who have undergone multiple invasive procedures and for whom additional surgery carries excessive risk, EECP therapy may the only way to obtain relief from crippling angina.
Patients typically attend one-hour treatment sessions once a day, five days a week, for seven weeks.
Many people have continued their employment while receiving treatment by scheduling their sessions before or after work. Patients with extensive atherosclerotic disease may require more than 35 hours of treatment to achieve optimal benefits. In 1989, researchers at State University of New York at Stony Brook began clinical studies of EECP treatment. Until the summer of 1995, EECP therapy was only available to patients participating in clinical studies. Today EECP therapy is available at treatment centers throughout the country.