What is ECP?

External Counterpulsation is a cardiac care therapy that provides relief from angina without surgery or medication. ECP is designed to improve heart function by increasing blood flow to the heart muscle and decreasing the heart’s workload. Basically, ECP improves the balance between the amount of oxygen the heart needs and the amount it receives.

The ECP technique was pioneered in the U.S. in the 1950s, then developed, refined and widely used in Asia while western physicians turned to a variety of surgical procedures. With the reintroduction of ECP to the U.S. in the 1980s, doctors and patients finally had a low cost, low risk therapeutic alternative to surgical or chemical intervention.

External Counterpulsation is a proven, safe and effective cardiac care therapy that physicians can use to manage their most difficult and debilitated patients. ECP is performed as an outpatient treatment, in either an outpatient hospital setting or physician’s office.

Download a PDF of our latest "What is ECP?" brochure featuring a detail description of the procedure and its benefits. The PDF can be viewed using the free Acrobat Reader.

What Happens During ECP Treatment?

Expanded Role for ECP

To date, reimbursement coverage for ECP is limited to use for patients with chronic stable angina. Research on the efficacy of ECP with Congestive Heart Failure patients, conducted over the last few years, has shown sustained improvements in exercise capacity and quality of life parameters following a course of treatment. Soon this research may help define and further promote an expanding role for ECP in the treatment of heart disease.

What is EECP^®?

EECP^® is a trademark of Vasomedical and stands for Enhanced External Counterpulsation. The FDA has found ScottCare’s NICORE ECP system to be substantially equivalent to Vasomedical’s EECP^® device.