Enhanced external counterpulsation in acute coronary syndrome, as a part of the pre-coronary artery bypass surgery treatment

Abstract

The continuous increase in the numbers of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients warrants the search for the new therapeutic approaches, which could be used when the standard methods are contraindicated or ineffective. One of the methods in CHD treatment is angiogenesis stimulation, i.e. increasing the number of coronary arteries (CA), which “substitute” the local CA defect. At the moment, there are several methods proposed for angiogenesis stimulation, among which enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) had demonstrated clinical effectiveness. EECP is indicated in resistant and unstable angina, chronic heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, and cardiogenic shock. This non-invasive method is particularly important in patients with severe CHD and impossibility of myocardial revascularisation.