Heart Attack Care - Can you revive your heart before or after heart surgery?

Yes, of course you can. With External Counterpulsation or ECP.

This is what the American Heart Association says about External Counterpulsation?

This is a noninvasive technique to increase oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart and to reduce the heart's workload. It's performed over a series of several weeks, with each session lasting from one to two hours. Pressure cuffs on the legs are inflated in sequences. As a result, the blood vessels in the legs are gently compressed and the blood is forced back to the heart. This technique

* lowers the pressure the heart must pump against
* increases the rate of return of blood to the heart
* increases blood pressure while the heart is resting

When is external counterpulsation used?

It's used to decrease pain from angina pectoris. Angina is chest pain or discomfort. It happens because the heart muscle doesn't get enough blood and oxygen for the work it's doing.

External counterpulsation improves the balance between the amount of oxygen the heart needs and the amount it gets. Both these changes reduce the pain of angina, increase level of exercise and decrease the need for medication.

Prather Wellness Center in Indianapolis, IN, does External Counterpulsation or ECP therapy.

Sessions last 5 times a week for an hour for seven weeks. This may seem a bit long but the results are amazing.

One patient hadn't cut wood in five years since his heart surgery. After just a few weeks, he was back to cutting wood and loving life.

There are other good "side" effects as well to the therapy. Men have increased blood flow which can lead to reviving sexual activity without the need of drugs.

If you would like to find out about what External Counterpulsation Therapy can do for you, please click here to send an email or call 317.848.8048.

Restoring Your Hope at Prather Wellness.