Pump away your chest pain with EECP

Pump away your chest pain with EECP

By Ronald Hutapea

JAKARTA (JP): A middle-aged woman visited a cardiologists when
she found herself exhausted after exercising. When the doctor
told her she had a slight heart problem, she decided to take a
drug-free treatment at the Harapan Kita Cardiac Center in
Jakarta.

She decided to take part in Enhanced External Counter
Pulsation (EECP).

EECP is a new and revolutionary nonsurgical, noninvasive and
drug-free procedure for treating chest pain. It is a mechanical
procedure that can reduce chest pains, presumably by increasing
blood flow to the heart.

The sounds of machines pumping can be heard from her room on
the second floor of the Preventive Cardiology Building at the
center. Like other EECP participants, she lied on the bed and was
strapped into a contraption hooked up to an EECP unit, which is
equipped with a digital monitor.

There are an average of 30 patients undergoing EECP during the
week. On Saturdays, the number often reaches 40.

Most patients are middle-aged and come from all over the
country. Some have only slight heart problems, but others have
more serious conditions. A 54-year-old executive from Jakarta was
advised to have the treatment because he had been diagnosed as
having a constricted coronary artery, but was not mentally ready
for a heart operation.

A 63-year-old man who had triple-bypass surgery a few years
ago was advised to take the treatment to improve his condition.

Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide and in
Indonesia. It is becoming a greater threat here because more of
the younger population is succumbing to it. Preventive care
should be a priority for all concerned and new ideas for drugs
and procedures to avoid premature death should be considered.

Until a few years ago, people with a heart condition had to
undergo bypass surgery to graft new vessels onto arteries.
Alternatives such as invasive procedures, which carries
considerable risks, are always being researched.

Many countries have now introduced newer and safer procedures.
Despite facing controversy within the medical profession, these
centers for alternative programs are flourishing in many places.
Some advertise in major publications and in the Internet.

In a tourist resort on Carbon Island, the Dominican Republic,
the Global Medical Health Center and Resources, offers a package
consisting of EECP, medical tests and rehabilitation activities.

In Jakarta, the Harapan Kita Cardiac Center began providing
EECP five years ago. Dr. Sjukri Karim of the center said that
over 700 patients have undergone this treatment. He said about 85
percent have experienced improvement.

The hospital will hold a seminar on EECP on Nov. 1.

The first sign of heart problems is often chest pains, angina
pectoris. A normal heart receives oxygen-enriched blood from
blood vessels called coronary arteries. In some people, the
coronary arteries can become narrowed or obstructed due to
cholesterol or other causes. Therefore, during exercise or a
stressful situation, a sufficient amount of oxygen-enriched blood
is unable to reach some parts of the heart. In many cases, this
can result in chest pain.

The benefit of EECP in people with angina pectoris appear to
be sustained between treatments and may persist long after
completion of a course of therapy. Some patients report pain-free
periods of up to five years after completion of treatment. New
blood vessels, called collaterals, are believed to be created,
which bring additional oxygen-enriched blood to the heart muscle
resulting in eradicating chest pain.

Another benefit of EECP is that, so far, no complications or
side effects have been reported.

More information on EECP can be found on the Internet at
http://www.vasomedic.com.

Procedures

During EECP treatment, the patient lies on a bed wearing
pressure cuffs (similar to a blood pressure cuff, only larger)
around the calves and the lower and upper thighs. EECP applies a
computerized series of pulsatile pressure to these cuffs and
forces blood flow towards the heart, which increases blood flow
to the heart. The recommended treatment involves 36 one-hour
sessions over a period of six weeks to seven weeks.

People experiencing frequent chest pains during exercising, or
diagnosed with coronary artery disease, might consider this
program. It could be particularly helpful to those recovering
from heart disease, who have a high risk factor for this disease
or to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Patients
recovering from bypass surgery, a heart attack, angioplasty or
diagnosed with angina may also benefit from the program.

Dr. Raymond Suwita, who is in charge of the facility's day-to-
day operations, is optimistic that EECP would help people who are
looking for a noninvasive treatment for their heart problems.
With EECP now widely found in the U.S., China and Europe, it is
expected that in Indonesia, EECP will also expand not only in
Jakarta but also in other parts of the country.

The writer is a Jakarta-based doctor and health educator.