EECP
benefits for heart patients highlighted
at THI seminar
Karachi:
Speakers at a medical seminar titled "Role
of Enhanced External Counter-Pulsation
(EECP) in Current Cardiology" organized
by Tabba Heart Institute, Karachi in
collaboration with Macter
International‹have highlighted the importance of EECP for effective and
long-lasting treatment of patients with angina and heart failure, and have
stressed for more awareness among the medical community in Pakistan, especially
cardiologists, to employ the US-FDA approved therapy for the benefit of their
patients.
EECP is a latest noninvasive, outpatient therapy for the treatment of diseases
of the cardiovascular system approved by the US-FDA in 2002. The therapy serves
to increase circulation in areas of the heart with less than adequate blood
supply and may restore systemic vascular function.
Speaking
on the occasion, Dr Bashir Hanif, chief
of cardiology and medical director of Tabba
Heart Institute, Karachi said that EECP
was an effective treatment for angina and
heart failure patients who no longer respond
to medical therapy even after going through
invasive procedures like bypass surgery
and angioplasty.
Dr
Hanif was part of the medical team at Stony
Brookes Hospital, USA, which conducted
the first successful trials on EECP in
1992.
He
further said that for these angina and
heart failure patients EECP has been demonstrated
to provide an effective, noninvasive and
enduring therapeutic option. Data from
clinical studies and international patient
registries show that approximately 80 percent
of patients benefit from EECP therapy and
typically experience increased energy levels,
a greater ability to take part in activities
of daily living, a better quality of life
and a more positive outlook.
Dr
BM Rathore, project manager EECP, highlighted
Macter¹s role in
introducing EECP therapy in Pakistan in collaboration with Vasomedical Inc.,
USA. He said initially two EECP centres have been set up in the country, one
at The Kidney Centre, Karachi and another at Shifa International Hospital,
Islamabad providing treatment to several patients at highly affordable rates.
The
seminar was attended by a large number
of doctors, including
cardiologists, general physicians, corporate CMOs, medical officers and administrators
from various medical institutions across Karachi.
