Joseph A. Sarnelle, M.D., a board certified cardiologist practicing in the Bayshore area, announces that his office is offering a safe, effective and noninvasive treatment for patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease called external counterpulsation (ECP) therapy.This FDA-approved, painless procedure, which can reduce or eliminate symptoms of angina and congestive heart failure by increasing blood flow to the heart, is delivered in a series of 35 one-hour sessions on an out-patient basis. ECP therapy is covered by Medicare and most commercial insurers, and has been proven in many clinical trials published in medical journals to be safe, effective, and a significant cost savings.
“We have administered ECP therapy to many of our patients since we began our program in April 2010, and the treatments have been able to relieve a variety of associated anginal and heart failure symptoms including chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue,” says Dr. Sarnelle. Dr. Sarnelle said that during ECP therapy, the patient reclines on a soft, padded table while a series of cuffs, similar to blood pressure cuffs, are wrapped around the legs and lower torso.The cuffs are then inflated and deflated in time with the patient’s own heartbeat. This squeezing action gently compresses the blood vessels in the lower limbs, driving oxygen-rich blood up to the heart during the heart’s resting phase.“The increased blood flow helps promote the growth of collateral arteries which form a ‘natural bypass’ around diseased arteries, thereby allowing more blood to reach deprived heart muscle,” says Dr. Sarnelle.“In addition, clinical studies have demonstrated that this action also improves the patient’s cardiovascular system producing a reduction in other symptoms of cardiovascular disease.”
Dr. Sarnelle says that prior to receiving ECP therapy, most patients were significantly limited in their ability to perform daily activities due to their symptoms.“Many of the patients are now able to walk considerable distances and participate in activities without experiencing any symptoms,” says Dr. Sarnelle. “One of our patients, an 84-year-old gentleman with a history of coronary artery bypass and prior intracoronary stents, was even able to go jogging without chest pain, fatigue, or shortness of breath after completing his ECP treatment.”
Dr. Sarnelle says that candidates for ECP therapy include patients who have had prior cardiac bypass and/or intracoronary stents, but are still experiencing anginal-related chest pain, as well as patients who are not amenable to or do not want to have either of those invasive procedures who are experiencing symptoms.
Dr. Sarnelle’s office is located at 812 Poole Ave., Suite C, Hazlet. Call 732-264- 3131 for an appointment to see if you are a candidate for this safe, effective, non-invasive procedure. For more information, visit at www.sarnellemd.com.