Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP)

• A Ray of hope for Heart patients -- Macter International (Pvt) Limited. First time introduces the breakthrough non-surgical treatment Enhanced External Counter Pulsation (EECP) in Pakistan with collaboration with Vasomedical, Inc, USA, which is currently available at the Cardiology unit of The Kidney Center Karachi and officially inaugurated by honorable secretary Health Sindh Prof. Dr. Noshad Ahmed Shaikh on 07th August 2006. -- EECP is an US-FDA approved non-surgical treatment and highly affordable out-patient therapy for the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system. -- EECP will prove to be a blessing for all those patients who, even after going through painful procedures of angioplasty and bypass, were not able to find a lasting cure to their illness. -- EECP is administered in out-patient basis for one hour per day for 35 hours .During this treatment patient has to lie comfortably on a special therapy bed and a series of pneumatic cuffs are wrapped around the patient s leg, thigh including buttocks. The Patient is hooked to an ECG machine so the cuffs inflate and deflate in synchronization with heartbeat .During the heart resting phase, when it receives its blood supply, the cuffs rapidly inflate, pushing oxygen rich blood towards heart. Just before the heart begins to pump again, the cuffs rapidly deflate and blood leaves the heart without the muscle having to work as hard. -- EECP therapy gives benefits to heart patients by increasing new vessel growth in the heart muscle through the stimulation of specialized cells in the lining of the vessel wall, causing release of Growth factors. Data from the large international EECP patient registry (IEPR) USA indicates EECP provides both short-term and long term relief of angina and heart failure symptoms and increases the exercise tolerance and improves quality of life. -- For more information please visit our EECP center at The Cardiology Unit of The Kidney center Karachi or log on our website www.eecp.com.pk or mailto eecp@macter.com or call Dr. B. M. Rathore 92-21-8250386, 0334-3657884
Dr. B. M. Rathore, Macter International (Pvt) Limited., Karachi Sindh, Pakistan, October 14, 2006

• To: Barbara S., California,. I am a 56 year old female - 6x bypass in October 2003 - 5 stents since that time because of re-closure. I could not exercise because of the angina was taking approx 3 nitros a day plus wearing a nitro patch. I underwent the EECP treatments last year this time. WOW-what a difference! I still wear the patch, but I go weeks to months without the extra nitros. Having the EECP treatments was the best move that I have made.
Kathleen L., North Carolina, USA, October 12, 2006

• During some routine research, I discovered this site and wanted to clarify some misinformation. The original FDA clearance of ECP for Cardiomedics was obtained on September 18, 1987 via premarket notification K872034. Clinical study results were required to obtain FDA's market release of the indications for use. Please visit this URL for more information: http://www.schwoebel.biz/site/K872034_Cardiomedics_Counterpulsation.jpg
Joe Schwoebel, Columbia Compass Associates, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, October 11, 2006

• I want to purchase an EECP machine. So please give me complete view and price about this. plz call are invite from only india . name vikas sethia (rajasthan ) india ph.919829045630
vikas, swift, rajasthan india, October 9, 2006

• HP -- links have been corrected as you requested. Thank for providing all the information!
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, October 9, 2006

• Please could you note that the correct address for the EECP blog is http://eecpeurope.blogspot.com. I must have been asleep when posting last time! Apologies.
HP Masher, Rye Harbour, UK, October 9, 2006

• I have completed a 35 hour course of EECP treatment in the UK in the last 3 months with very good results. I am convinced that EECP is very good value for money for public health services in Europe because of the improvement in quality of life it brings at comparatively low cost. I found a lot of the medical description of EECP difficult to follow, partly because the processes affected by it are themselves quite complex. I have thus attempted to describe EECP and my (very positive) experience in a blog (see http://eecpeurope.blogspot.com). I hope this is of some help to others contemplating its use.
HP Masher, Rye Harbour, UK, October 5, 2006

• I am practicing as Non-invasive Cardiologist and doing Chelation Therapy also. I am finding excellent results in more than 90% Cardiac patients. Now I am interested in EECP for giving Non-surgical revascularization therapy. I am inviting all EECP manu./marketing companies to contact us on hccjbp@yahoo.co.in
Dr.Anupam Shrivastava, Heart Care Center, Jabalpur, MP, India., September 24, 2006

• Robert -- ECP is the generic term, EECP® is a registered trademark of Vasomedical Inc. who makes the equipment.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, September 21, 2006

• Is there a significant difference between ECP and EECP? At first glance they appear to be computer-controlled pulses regulated by heartbeat. My first experience with it resulted in less than my expectations, but it may have also been technique. I may investigate this again with an EECH provider. My stem cell trial results may be nil; after three months my treadmill tolerance is pretty much the same. I miss those 3 mile walks in the fall...
Robert Kowalski, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, September 18, 2006

• My husband had a triple bypass this past January. Several months later, he was back in the hospital and we discovered one of the bypassed arteries was blocked up again by 90%. His cardiologist tried to do angioplasty but was unsuccessful due to the artery being kinked and curved, so he suggested EECP. My husband did the 35 treatments and has shown NO improvement whatsoever. He is still short of breath and has chest pain. I don't know what is next but when he goes to see his cardiologist in a few weeks I will ask what we can do so he can once again have some quality of life. He is just 52 years old and I am very very worried.
Josie, Deltona, Florida, USA, September 10, 2006

• I am a FIRM believer in the EECP process. I'm starting my third (3rd) set of 35 treatments on Monday 28 AUG. It has helped me each year I have had it. I had a quad bypass, which 2 of the 4 have since blocked. I get the same "burning" feeling each time. This alerts me for my need of treatments. They have gone away each time so far. I PRAY that they go away this time too. It does cost me some....Insurance pays most. I suggest that anyone who thinks that it may help.....DO IT and see. Best of luck. I wanna live long past my present age of 50. Please and Thanx, Bogie
Bogie, Michigan, August 25, 2006

• To: Steven G, Palm Beach, FL. Your post of August 5, 2006 describes how your angina has not improved at all after a 35 hour course of EECP treatment. CMS and most insurance companies will pay for this condition if you have Class III or IV stable angina and in many states they will pay for an additional 10 hours or a total of 45 hours of treatment if you fail to show any improvement. This may be what you need the next time you take the treatment. I think it would help you enormously if if pick up a copy of "Heal Your Heart with EECP" by Dr. Debra Braverman, M.D. It would also help if you take the time to carefully read the highlighted link in the post directly below your own. Emerging evidence suggests that endothelial dysfunction sets the stage for ischemic heart disease with the shortness of breath and heart pain that are seen in angina. It has been repeatedly shown that EECP can significantly improve endothelial function and many now believe this is one of the ways EECP works to help to reduce angina symptoms by 1-2 classes with 35 hours of treatment.

If you fail to respond to EECP it is probably because you require more hours of treatment and/or you and your physician have not addressed your other cardiac risk factors sufficiently to get them under control. Coffee drinking before treatment is now said to interfere with treatment results and is now prohibited at my clinic. If you're drinking, smoking, failing to exercise and not following a heart healthy diet. your results will almost certainly be less than if you were following a healthy lifestyle. If you have any other questions I will be happy to try and answer them.
Gerald Oros, Collinsvillie, Illinois, USA, August 24, 2006

• To: Barbara S California "I am looking at the EECP treatment and would like to hear from anyone who has had this 35 treatment course. It's very expensive and I will probably have to battle my insurance company for approval. "

Well, perhaps I can help.. I have had the 35 hour treatment annually for the past 4 years and it always helps me. My own case is complicated by severe osteoarthritis of the knees and peripheral artery disease which prevents me from exercising as much as I would like. Initially, I had heart pain daily but my primary complaint was shortness of breath. Today, the heart pain has almost disappeared even with exertion and while shortness of breath is my primary side effect, that too, has greatly improved. I require no nitroglycerine pills but many successful EECP patients may still have to take 1 or 2 on a bad day. I attribute my good results to the annual treatments which I will continue as long as possible. Some states such as California will pay for as many bypass surgeries and/or angioplasties as you can tolerate but the last time I checked they will pay for only 1 x 35 hour course of EECP in a patient's lifetime....Hopefully, this will change in the near future as EECP IS NOT VERY EXPENSIVE AS YOU MISTAKENLY ASSERT. IN FACT, NON-INVASIVE EECP IS FAR LESS EXPENSIVE (1/10TH) THAN INVASIVE BYPASS SURGERY AND ABOUT 1/5th AS EXPENSIVE AS AN INVASIVE SINGLE STENT PROCEDURE. Whoever told you otherwise was gravely misinformed.

I urge you to purchase and/or read the only book on EECP written for the general public. "Heal Your Heart with EECP" by Debra Braverman, MD. It is excellent and easy to understand. It is vital that you know what you're talking about when you request this treatment from your doctor. Your chances of getting his immediate approval are greatly increased if he realizes that you are thoroughly informed about this new technology. Most doctors, at this time, are not highly enthusiastic about this treatment option because even though it is FDA approved and reimbursed by Medicare and most insurance companies, it is not regarded as nearly as profitable as the invasive procedures. So, it's quite natural that they will often try to guide you away from EECP to an invasive procedure and this is especially true if they do not even have an EECP machine installed at their clinic. You need to be aware that studies have shown that the number of hospitalizations and emergency room visits are significantly decreased in a 12 month period after EECP treatment compared to that number 12 months prior to the EECP treatment.

Study these links! www.eecp.com

EECP has another advantage which very few patients(even some cardiologists) fail to know about or appreciate.... EECP has been shown repeatedly to be able to improve ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN THAT ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION WILL OFTEN PRECEDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEART DISEASE AND MAY CONTINUE TO AGGRAVATE IT AS LONG AS THIS UNDERLYING CONDITION REMAINS UNTREATED. NO INVASIVE PROCEDURE PERFORMED ON HEART PATIENTS TODAY IS CAPABLE OF REVERSING ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION. THIS MEANS THAT EECP HAS AN EXCLUSIVE PATIENT ADVANTAGE OVER THE INVASIVE PROCEDURES. And sadly, far too many cardiologists have failed to utilize this feature for their patient's welfare. To really grasp how crucially important this may be to your own health, please read the following article: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/111/3/363
Gerald Oros, Collinsville, Illinois, USA, August 24, 2006

• 62 yr old female: I had a triple bypass on Mar 24,'06 with at-rest chest pains two months later. Triple stent to the bypassed LAD, which had restenosed; unable to even visualize the diagonal or its bypass! The diagonal is too small to stent and am now off beta blockers, as it started to cause bloating. Now I'm experiencing chest pains again and came to realize that a couple of weeks of chest discomfort were really angina symptoms. (Taking a nitro sublingual yesterday helped during one such episode!) I am looking at the EECP treatment and would like to hear from anyone who has had this 35 treatment course. It's very expensive and I will probably have to battle my insurance company for approval. Certainly, slowing down is a must but I am confronted with a new scenario bi-monthly, it seems. Cardiac rehab has become a slow bike ride to stay within the "anginal threshold"! Keeping an upbeat mental attitude is a challenge but so far so good. Any input about the EECP would be appreciated!
Barbara S., California, USA, August 11, 2006

• There was someone who posted that he had a good experience with EECP. I wonder if you could please respond to the following. I did EECP once last year, all 35 treatments. It took two months, but with no real success at all in removing my angina that I have had continuously now for 18 months post stenting. But I have heard that the second attempt at EECP sometimes works like a charm, and does help. What is your experience. Did your first session help you at all, or did the second. You indicated that you have done a session each year for 4 years. Just post or e-mail me at j@jgreenwald.com Thanx.
Steven G, Palm Beach, Florida, August 5, 2006

• I'm going to have my third (3rd) year of EECP next month. I have had 2 of my 4 (2003) grafts block up. I find that an early warning sign for me is a slight burning sensation in my chest. Each of the last 2 times it has gone away after my 35 treatments. I have been back 8 times to correct blockages with little help. This way seems to be the best for me. It has kept me OUT of the hospital for over 2 yrs now. I believe. I have changed my diet, become more active and PRAY. I'm 49 yrs young. I give it 2 thumbs up. Please and Thanx, Bogie
Bogie, Michigan, August 4, 2006

• For the physician, the main disadvantage of EECP is that the reimbursement is far too little for the time and expense required for a cardiology clinic to extend this service. Hopefully, this will change in the very near future. For the patient the main disadvantage is that the treatment is 1 hour a day, 5 days a week for 7 weeks. Because this may be temporarily inconvenient, some patients may opt for 2 hours treatment a day for 3 1/2 weeks. Non-invasive EECP treatment is effective, very safe and inexpensive relative to invasive procedures. This should be enough to make it a viable option for angina and/or heart failure patients but it has another advantage which very few patients(even some cardiologists) fail to know about or appreciate.... EECP has been shown repeatedly to be able to improve ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION. IT HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN THAT ENDOTHELIAL DYSFUNCTION WILL OFTEN PRECEDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEART DISEASE AND MAY CONTINUE TO AGGRAVATE IT AS LONG AS THIS UNDERLYING CONDITION REMAINS UNTREATED. To really grasp how crucially important this may be to your own health, please read the following article: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/111/3/363
Gerald Oros, Collinsville, Illinois, USA, July 11, 2006

• Rehana Mushtaq Heart clinic was established in 1993 in Lahore, Pakistan. We specialize in dealing with complicated & rejected heart patients. Our clinic is a ray of hope for hopeless heart patients.Dr javaid sabzwari.contact syedjavaidmushtaq@hotmail.com
Dr syed javaid mushtaq, rehana mushtaq heart clinic, lahore, punjab, pakistan, July 2, 2006

• guys I am hearing that it is being used extensively in china for Stroke.....Does anybody has a personal experience!! Is it good for overall mortality/morbidity or does it have any acute effects ???
aarush manchanda, GW, Washington DC, June 20, 2006

• good morning everybody if any one is interested in purchase of ecp machine or providing services we can help ypu and we have ultimate heart scanner which can give you olt of patients mail at jkdistributors@vsnl.com or www.myheart.in
Ashok Arora, J.K.Distributors, delhi/India, June 17, 2006

• You should look into EECP or Enhanced External Counterpulsation. It's a procedure that is approved by the FDA. Whether you've done the angioplasty or not you should look into it. Just type EECP in your Google search. You can actually grow collateral arteries. Also, check out Dr. Julian Whitaker's Wellness Institute.
Harve, California, USA,, June 1, 2006

• hi , i would like to buy one ecp machine in india. can manufacturers send me the details? Dr.ahmed. my email id is ahad23mpl@indiatimes.com
dr.ahmed, clinic, hyderabad a.p. india, May 20, 2006

• As the physicians slowly recognizing ecp treatment the need for ecp equipment is increasing we with three years experience in giving ecp treatment at premiere institutes in cardiology in india have developed a indian brand with quality as good as that of western products and technology know how from china , we are giving onsite warranty with parts replacement and amc in subsequent years. the product is indian manufacturing with all the latest features ,please feel free to enquire for details contact cardiopulse_ecp1@yahoo.com
anjali thakur, cardiopulse, new delhi, May 17, 2006

• For patients who are trying to get a better understanding of why their doctors fail to mention to them the FDA approved , CMS reimbursed, non-invasive treatment option for Class III and IV angina i.e., Enhanced External Counterpulsation: Read the following article and you will understand. It is informative, easy to understand, humerous and above all --- FAIR AND BALANCED. Enjoy! http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/ coronarydisease/a/EECP.htm
Gerald Oros, , Collinsville, IL, May 15, 2006

• Hi Mr.Manoj...What king of scanner is it...what is the mechanism behing it.....what are you testing post-EECP......send me an E-brochure if you have....my email-aarushmanchanda@yahoo.co.in Thanks
Aarush Manchanda, GWUH, Washington DC, May 12, 2006

• we are marketing heart scanner which can show you the differance between pre and post ecp theraphies done by your machine contact for detail www.myheart.in jkdistmanoj@ricmail.com
manoj adwani, advaned medical diagnostic and laser centre, delhi, May 7, 2006

• Response to Arush Manchanda April 25th Post: "I read somewhere that there is some benefit in memory and renal function......Are there any studies to suggest that.... " Yes! Google it up! And, I can tell you this: Apparently, the treatment restores diuretic responsiveness. On my last EECP treatment, I had stopped taking furosemide months earlier simply because it was not working and I was afraid of further degrading my glomerular filtration rate (GFR). But it seems the EECP treatment may tone up the kidneys and may help them respond to the diuretic left over in the body on a cellular level. I dropped 13 lbs in my first week!!! Regarding the PEECH Trial, there is an additional article soon (1-6 months) to be published on that trial. You should try to read it when it comes out. A very informativce book came out last year called "Heal Your Heart with EECP" by Dr. Debra Braverman, M.D. You can find it at Amazon or any of the finer book stores. You can sample read many of the pages at the Amazon website-- so you might want to start there.
Gerald Oros, , Collinsville, Illinois, USA, May 1, 2006

• Responce to John Fetter's comment on March 1st, 2006
"Well, that's all well and good but the FDA actually gave their approval for the EECP/ ECP treatment in 1995!!!!! " -This quote is entirely incorrect.

Not entirely John. I should have stated that the FDA gave their approval to Vasomedical's EECP System, with a new and different bell and whistle, for the indication of angina on a 510K which proved equivalency to the Cardiomedics product that had been approved years earlier. I should also explain that EECP is a registered trademark for Vasomedical's ECP system and that while all EECP products are regarded as ECP, no other ECP product may be regarded as EECP. In 2003 the FDA approved EECP for congestive heart failure based on all of the EECP studies and data that showed its safety and efficacy. This time, it was Cardiomedics and Nicore that quickly followed and gained approval for CHF for their systems as well, but with a 510K which proved equivalency. I think it would be best if everyone in the future refrains from this sort of posting. It's not, IMO, really helpful and it's not what these patients are interested in or need. Okay? Gerald Oros Collinsville, IL
Gerald Oros, Collinsville, IL, April 26, 2006

• Is anyone aware of non-cardiac beneficial effects of EECP....I read somewhere that there is some benefit in memory and renal function......Are there any studies to suggest that.... I am not very impressed by the cardiac effects.....as EECP failed to show increase in the Peak Oxygen Consumption in the only randomised control trial on EECP -the PEECH trial and it did not increase myocardial perfusion according to another latest trial. I guess it may be an important palliative measure for chest pain relief for those who are not candidates for PCI/Bypass .Does anyone have any comments.......
Aarush Manchanda, GW, Washington DC,USA, April 25, 2006

• Super External Counterpulsation Therapy Systems (SECP), made in china. http://www.gzgz.net/eecp
JIANGMING CHEN, Ecp center of China, Guangzhou, April 15, 2006

• i want to know more about arterial clearance therapy & external counterpulsation
sanjay, mahavir hospital, gondia/m.s./india, April 14, 2006

• "Well, that's all well and good but the FDA actually gave their approval for the EECP/ECP treatment in 1995!!!!! " -This quote is entirely incorrect. FDA approved Cardiomedics, Inc. ECP in 1986, they are the first ECP company, dating back to Harvard and MIT in the 60's. Vasomedical came into existence because Cardiomedics made it possible, Vasomedical bought a piece of Cardiomedic's equipment, shipped it to China and had it mass produced. Mr. Bhavesh Ghadiyali, please contact me about your desire for an effective ECP system for your practice in India. Here is a link to our website for more information: http://www.cardiomedics.com Thanks. John Fetter 949-606-5712
John Fetter, Cardiomedics, Inc, California, USA, March 1, 2006

• I have started eecp in fresno,ca for patients who has documented bypass graft closures on maximal medical therapy with continued angina or angina equivalent.The response is very good and patients thank you for offering this therapy.
Harcharn S Chann MD, Fresno, California, USA, February 21, 2006

• Cardiopulse is the company manuf ecp in india at new delhi, we are giving excellent after sale service with very competent price
anju, cardiopulse, india, February 15, 2006

• Mr Ghadiyali: You may contact their Chief Tehnical Officer, John Hui, MD at Jhui@vasomedical.com. He will be glad to help you.
Gerald Oros, OrosCo Product Specialties, Collinsville, IL, February 12, 2006

• R. P. Kowolski: EECP creates an improvement in angina symptoms of 1 class or better in about 80% of the patients. 20% may not improve that much or may not respond at all. Generally, patients with severe pre-existing endothelial dysfunction will find that the efficacy of their treatments may be blunted. My clinic does not allow the use of coffee or any caffeine containing products prior to treatment. If you were having morning coffee it might explain why your results weren't better. Doctors I have talked to, believe that some patients simply require more hours of treatment. Next time, insist on 45 hours. If your doctor is not amenable to your need, seek another provider site that will be more willing to help you. Good luck with the gene therapy trial. Let us know how that worked out.
Gerald Oros, OrosCo Product Specialties, Collinsville, IL, February 12, 2006

• We need EECP machine for heart hospital in india. I have not any contact for that. Please give me some address for that.
Mr. Bhavesh Ghadiyali, swami, ahmedabad/gujarat/india, January 28, 2006

• FORUM USER ALERT: The Center of Medicare & Medicaid Services (U.S. goverment) is currently re-evaluating ECP therapy for expanded indications and reimbursement. If you are a patient or healthcare professional and wish to share your ECP experience (positive or negative) where it was used for treatment of severe angina where other medical or surgical treatments did not or could not help, then you may send a public comment to CMS. This is a chance to directly influence a medical issue that you may have a strong feeling about. The closing date for these comments is coming up next week, on January 20. More information about the decision to expand coverage can be found on the CMS website.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, January 13, 2006

• I must share my latest experience in treating Refractory/Terminal cardiac with EECP.Mr YPK a 78yr old frail man was referred to me by a reputed hospital in North India.He was bedridden since 6months- and not without reason. He was an old case of CAD/CABG done in 1991 and in cardiac failure since last 4years.He also had bilateral pleural effusion, ascites,Septic arthritis,Diabetes,Benign Hypertrophy Prostate,Parkinsonism, Hypoprotenemia and went into repeated episodes of LVF daily.He was on maximum antifailure therapy including 300mg Spironolactone,100mg Frusemide(Lasix).His ejection Fraction was a feeble 17%. No Surgeon or for that matter Physician would touch him. We took him up as a challange case on 02 Sept 2005 and gave him two, one hour sittings of EECP daily.On 16 Sept his Ejection Fraction had improved to 28% and by the time he finished 35 hrs of EECP he had an EF of 32%. His breathing improved and miraculously the dose of Spironolactone reduced to 25mg and Laxis to 20mg per day. So EECP CERTAINLY improves failure in end stage cases,improves quality of life and reduces doses of Diuretics.
Dr SJS Randhawa MD;DNB, Randhawa Hospital, Amritsar/Punjab/India, January 02, 2006

• I recently underwent 35 ECP sessions, and while I can say I 'feel better', my nitro usage hasn't gone down, and I still have early morning/late night angina episodes. My teadmill tolereance went from 10 minutes to less than 4 minutes. At $40 a co-pay, I would've like a more optimistic outcome. I suppose now I'll have to get into a gene therapy clinical trial. ECP may be a bit over-sold IMO.
RP Kowalski, CCSD, Nevada, December 28, 2005

• we are the manufacturer of ecp world class equipment in india with hassel free maintenance services, for competent price contact us
anjali thakur, cardiopulse, new delhi, December 27, 2005

• Why treatment with EECP may benefit patients with angina pectoris. Your heart pumps blood through your entire body to supply tissues with the oxygen and other nutrients they need. In order to do this, the heart itself needs oxygen-enriched blood to generate the energy it requires. Because the heart muscle is unable to obtain this energy directly form the blood it pumps, it relies upon its own set of blood vessels-the coronary arteries-for oxygen-enriched blood. The coronary arteries are distinct from other arteries in the body in that maximal blood flow occurs during diastole (when the heart is relaxing) while other arteries receive most of their blood supply during systole (when the heart is contracting). This is because when the heart contracts, the coronary vessels are squeezed and cannot carry enough blood at that time. In some people, the coronary arteries can become narrowed or obstructed so that during exercise or stressful situations, an insufficient amount of oxygen-enriched blood is able to reach some parts of the heart muscle. Often, the results is a painful experience called angina pectoris. for further detail contact Dr.Farhat Haseeb. EECP consultant Karachi .0333-2288225 Dr.Rathore 0333-2327969 Dr.Faisal zia 0300-8221767 EECP Consultant
Dr.Rathore, Macter International (pvt) Limited, Karachi.sindh, Pakistan, December 13, 2005

• A ray of hope for cadiac patients, a non-invasive ,US-FDA approved EECP treatment currently available @ Kamal hospital Karachi, pakistan, contact9221-8250386,0333-2288225, 0333-2327969 Indication of EECP : 1.angina refractory to medical treatment. 2.Post-CABG angina. 3.Post-PCI (angioplasty) angina. 4.patient not willing for bypass surgery. 5.Heart failure.
Dr.B.M.Rathore, Macter International (pvt) Limited, Karachi, indh, pakistan, December 09, 2005

• The following is an amazing story of an 80 year old physician who, after failing to relieve his angina with repeated invasive procedures settled on something which has worked very well for him. This news story originally ran on 11-29-05 but is now being picked up by other newspapers across the country along with many internet news websites. I have chosen to submit this to the forum because I know for a fact that there are so very few angina patients that know anything about this safe and effective, non- invasive treatment option for angina that is FDA approved and CMS re-imbursed... Doctors can't say why it works, but some patients swear by the results. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-heart2905nov29,0,2107615.story
Gerald Oros, OrosCo Product Specialties, Collinsville, IL, December 04, 2005

• Matt Wiseman: Just contact www.vasomedical.com They should have a list of provider sites.
Gerald Oros, OrosCo Product Specialties, Collinsville, IL, November 30, 2005

• Earl -- both ECP and EECP are similar. ECP is the generic term for "External Counterpulsation". EECP adds an "enhanced". It is a registered trademark of Vasomedical and is explained on their website, as follows:

The term Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP®) describes what happens during treatment. "Enhanced" refers to the state-of-the-art technology that has developed during decades of research and is used for EECP® treatment today. EECP® treatment is "external" because it happens outside the body and does not require surgery or other invasive procedures. Counterpulsation occurs between heart beats.

Hope this clears it up.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, November 26, 2005

• Does anyone know of a EECP site in the Phoenix Metro Area of Arizona, USA?
Matt Wiseman, , Mesa, AZ, USA, November 18, 2005

• What is the difference between ECP and EECP? I am now taking ECP therapy, I think.
Earl McGuire, Salem, Virginia, USA, November 17, 2005

• Gerald -- Thanks for the accurate info below about the EECP/Quackwatch discussion. I guess the reason we couldn't find anything on Quackwatch about EECP was precisely because QW had removed the incorrect article several years ago in response to posters contacting them -- and it's a great example of the power of the internet. Sure, companies have always had "complaint departments" but the complaints were entered into a closed hidden system. On message boards, everything's out there and things sometimes gain a momentum for change. You're absolutely correct that Vasomedical's first EECP device was approved for use by the FDA in 1995. In fact, as a result of the PEECH trial, presented at this year's ACC, and other studies Vasomedical has requested that Medicare expand the range of conditions for which EECP can be reimbursed. We think Quackwatch can provide useful information, but they clearly erred in this case. We would hope that if our readers find errors on Angioplasty.Org, that they would let us know as well -- including new therapies. After all, it was less than 30 years ago that the idea of expanding a balloon inside of someone's coronary artery was considered complete quackery -- an extremely dangerous idea! Turned out that it WAS dangerous -- to the hegemony of open heart bypass surgery for the treatment of coronary artery disease.
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, November 11, 2005

• Dear Forum Editor: About 2-3 years ago, a poster on one of the EECP message boards reported that he had noticed EECP was one of the treatments listed on the Quackwatch List at Quackbusters. Several other posters contacted Quackbusters and pointed out that EECP was FDA approved as an effective treatment for angina. Their forum mgr said he would check to confirm that this was true and EECP was removed from their list the next day. Well, that's all well and good but the FDA actually gave their approval for the EECP/ECP treatment in 1995!!!!! Apparently it was on their watch list improperly for for some 7 years or longer and no one ever called the error to their attention. I think folks may have some justification for being skeptical of the Quackbusters themselves...
Gerald Oros, OrosCo Product Specialties, Collinsville, IL, November 10, 2005

• Dear Clyde -- I'm not sure where you saw that Quackwatch said negative things about EECP. They don't have anything on their site about EECP. A comment we made in the past was referring to "chelation therapy" or the various artery clearing treatments being hawked, not EECP. We're sorry if we were not clearer about this. In fact there have been a number of studies showing that EECP is a valid therapy -- quite respectable (as your insurance carrier also believes). One of the pioneering companies Vasomedical exhibits at the major cardiology meetings (TCT, ACC, etc.) and these meetings are not interested in "quackery".
Forum Editor, Angioplasty.Org, November 7, 2005

• Qwackwatch is a little off his kilter when it comes to EECP and ECP, although it hasn't been a complete remedy for me, I don't think I would be alive today without it. If my stingy insurance company pays for it, there must be good medical evidence that it works. In fact, they made me dig up the evidence and appeal a denial before they would approve it. I think Quacker should do a little more study on how it works and why it works, before he makes a quacking fool of himself.
Clyde Hyde, ECP-EECP@yahoogroups.com, Gomel, Gomel, Belarus, November 7, 2005

• You might want to read the informative article about some re-clotting problems with drug eluting stents that appeared in the October 21st issue of this year's Wall Street Journal. Some patients are having their stents get clogged when their doctors take them off of the Plavix or when the patient just forgets to keep taking it. At $150.00 a month at the local Walgreen Pharmacy, some patients just can't afford to take it for the rest of their lives and some may have problems when they try to stop the medication because of the prohibitive cost. According to the article these complications are seen in no more than 1% of the patients -- but of that 1%, there is a stunning 45% mortality rate associated with this small group. When you consider that 3,000,000 patients have already received drug eluting stents worldwide and that some doctors fear the patients' experiencing these problems may actually exceed 1%, you are looking at a minimum of some 15,000 unexpected deaths and perhaps a great deal more. I think it might be prudent for the cardiology community to to consider screening patients for sensitivity to the drug Plavix before rushing in to place the stent/stents. Once they're in there and problems arise in those unfortunate few, there doesn't seem to be much they can do about it. One doctor, who is associated with Vasomedical, the company that makes the EECP machines approved for treating angina, told me once that EECP helps improve the outcome of angioplasties. While he did not explain how or why that would be so, I do know that EECP treatments can help improve endothelial function in some patients. Mayo Clinic studies showed that to be the case. Improved endothelial function. by improving vascular system tone, might contribute to reducing vascular stiffness. It can also increase the body's producton of the enzyme, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which enables the body to convert arginine into nitric oxide (NO) which enables the vascular system to dilate, which increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to oxygen deprived areas of the body, which would include the heart and the walls of the vascular system. I guess help from EECP treatments would all depend on whether your endothelial system was dysfunctional or not to begin with -- but I guess patients need to ask their doctor about such things. And, I think doctors who need to tell them about such thing, in general, may not yet fully appreciate how a dysfunctional endothelium can upset vascular homeostasis and directly contribute to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Gerald Oros, OrosCo Product Specialties, Collinsville, IL, October 30, 2005

• I have been running an EECP center at Amritsar India since the last two years. I have achieved a success rate of 95% in relieving angina and dyspnoea/failure in my patients.Not a single one of my patients have needed bypass surgery so far.I feel that most EECP centers in the world do only EECP and nothing else. We at Randhawa Hospital,Amritsar have a comprihensive programme which includes Aggressive lipid lowering, weight reduction, exercise programme, diet therapy, yoga sessions in addition to EECP. CAD is a relentless, progressive, multifactorial disease. No single mode of treatment is likely to achieve more than 70% success rate. A multidimentional, comprehensive and committed approach has achieved a 95%success rate at our hospital.
Dr SJS Randhawa MD;DNB, Randhawa Hospital, Amritsar/Punjab/India, September 19, 2005

• ecp device at the most competent rate in india we are the manufacturers of ecp device in india and looking for distributors or buyers , please mention your complete details if interested.
anju sharma, cardiopulse, india, August 17, 2005

• You can undergo some safe, non-invasive treatments like External Counter Pulsation (ECP) or Artery Clearance Therapy (ACT) / Chelation Therapy. You can see details on www.sssibia.com
Dr.Sibia, Sibia Medical Centre, Ludhiana, Punjab, India, August 08, 2005

• There is an ECP-EECP forum in yahoo. My latest round of ECP was in India. ECP-EECP-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Clyde Hyde, Gomel, Belarus, July 14, 2005

• dear sir/ madam, my name is sukhooram, my cabg was done in 1997 and at 8th post cabg day i had another mi and in march 2005 i had another non st elevated mi and then angio was done that showed 100% blockade and i was advised to have eecp treatment.i was quite well during procedure and one month after that, but now since 20 days i had two severe episodes of short of breath and signs of heart failur .so now i want to know that why im having these types of attacks and is this treatment failure? actually i need answer!
sukhooram, pakistan, July 06, 2005

• Please let me know which institutions are providing the service of EECP in india. Early response will be highly appreciated
Vijay Ramesh, Individual, Bangalore(Karnatak) India, February 22, 2005

• Was diagnosed with 100% occluded LAD in April 2004. I have had a series of EECP in addition with chelation therapy and plaquex and I am at the moment completely pain free and I am no longer on any medication.
Johnny, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., February 13, 2005

• Dear Sir/Madam. My name is Keith, I found your contact information from a website. My family have a factory in China is producing the ECP unit, if you have interest of it, please feel free to contact me, I will more than happy to answer you question. E-mail: keithjie2001@yahoo.com Tel: 001-416-278-9979 Warm regards. Keith
Keith, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, July 07, 2004

• I work for a company that specializes in EECP treatment and we have the ability to install our centers anywhere in the country to fit patient needs. EECP is a non invasive way to relieve your body from angina or angina equivalents. Log onto our website www.fwheatcare.com or email dan@fwheartcare.com. Take control of your life again, talk to your local doctor or cardiologist to see if this is right for you.
Dan Anderson, Fort Worth Heart Care, Ft. Worth, Texas, USA, 10 May 2004

• I would just like to chime in that while studies are ongoing in terms of EECP, and there are data that show efficacy of this treatment, chelation therapy has pretty much been debunked and is, in fact, discussed in more detail on Quackwatch.
Forum Editor, PTCA.Org, 14 Dec 2003

• You can undergo some safe, non-invasive treatments like External Counter Pulsation ECP) or Artery Clearance Therapy (ACT) / Chelation Therapy. You can see details on www.sssibia.com
Dr.S.S.Sibia, Sibia Medical Centre, Ludhiana, Punjab, India, 10 Dec 2003

• I got a stent and EECP, then two months later the LAD totally occluded but my saving factor was strong collaterals. I went for another round of EECP which didn't seem to help a lot so went to Moscow for GM-CSF shots. My nitro usage has dropped from 30-40 to 4-5 per day and I have reduced medications by a third. I don't believe this therapy is available in the dumb USA, but it worked for me. I am still not out of the woods, but am far better.
Clyde Hyde, Gomel, Belarus, 18 Oct 2003

• John Baldock You ask a great question John! Why indeed? Could it be that the EECP procedure is so much less expensive than the invasive procedures and is therefore much less profitable to the physician and hospital? Sadly, your situation is not uncommon. Something must be done. Lets all just wake up and "smell the coffers" in this situation. Suggest that you log onto www.vasomedical.com and request the free Larry King Video on EECP to learn about why EECP works so well, then pass it on to a neighbor.
Gerald Oros, Collinsville Illinois, USA, 21 Feb 2002

• I had quintuple (5) coronary by-pass surgery. Because of failed grafts shortly after surgery had 3 additional angioplasties. Placed on beta-blockers, nitro and other drugs to no avail. Thought my life was over until I found out and went through 35 EECP treatments. Life has returned to a semi normal existence. EECP gave me great results from a non-invasive procedure. Why didn't medical science offer EECP to me first, and save my native arteries and all the scars and pain associated with surgery?
John Baldock, N/A, Reno, Nevada, USA, 13 Feb 2002

• I also had problems after a stent placement The doctor said that I didn't have pain because of good test results. I went and saw another doctor and started EECP Enhanced External Counter pulsation and solved all problems
David Zemaitis, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, 26 Dec 2000