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. 2018 Jun;70(2):119-123.
doi: 10.1016/j.ehj.2018.01.002. Epub 2018 Feb 1.

Can enhanced external counter pulsation as a non-invasive modality be useful in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy after coronary artery bypass grafting?

Amr A Abdelwahab  1 , Ayman M Elsaied  2
Affiliations

Can enhanced external counter pulsation as a non-invasive modality be useful in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy after coronary artery bypass grafting?

Amr A Abdelwahab et al. Egypt Heart J. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Angina symptom in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery is a major challenging problem in practice. The choice among different treatment modalities available can be judged by different parameters especially measuring the risk/cost ratio to achieve the benefit. Enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP) is one of safest noninvasive modality for treatment of angina as well as it has an anti-failure effect.

Patients and method: 42 patients with ICM after CABG were suffering from stable angina and were treated at Al-Hayat Cardiology Centre in Tanta City (ACC). 20 patients of them (group A) received 35 sessions of EECP plus their anti-ischemic and anti-failure treatment, while the other 22 patients (group B) received only medical treatment and were followed up for 3 months regarding their angina class, functional class, frequency of angina attack, frequency of sublingual nitrate and rate of rehospitalization when needed during follow up period.

Results: Despite both groups had nearly similar severity of symptoms regarding the CCS class and NYHA class, yet patients in group A experienced significant improvement in comparison to patients in group B (p-value = .005, p-value = .002 respectively), and this was reflected on frequency of angina and need for sublingual nitrates per week which showed significant decrease in group A (p-value = .001).

Conclusion: As a non-invasive treatment modality EECP is very effective in improving the symptoms of angina and heart failure when combined with medical treatment in patients with ICM after CABG.

Keywords: Angina; EECP; Heart failure; Ischemic cardiomyopathy.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Comparison as regard changes in CCS class between both groups at the start of treatment and after 3 months follow up.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparison as regard changes in NYHA class between both groups at the start of treatment and after 3 months follow up.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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