Old Angina Therapy New Again

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A procedure that's more than five decades old is being revived to help patients suffering from chest pain. The best part, no surgery is involved.

More than 7 million people in the United States suffer with angina, an agonizing chest pain brought on by exercise and emotional stress. For years, procedures and surgeries were the gold standard. One group of Memphis heart doctors is turning back to good old fashioned medicine.

Lawrence Wilson says in a way, he's living on borrowed time.

"Last July, I had a massive heart attack and just about left this world," says Wilson.

He's had three more since then, including two on the same day in April.

Wilson remembers "I've had two surgeries, two open heart surgeries, 1993 and 2005, so I've had my share of heart troubles."

Already on medication, his options were limited. His cardiologist recommended a novel treatment, Enhanced External Counterpulsation, or EECP therapy.

Nancy Wilson, a certified EECP therapist, says "what the machine is doing is pumping in time with the heart rate at a pressure to help increase the blood flow back to the heart."

The one hour treatment connects a patient to a machine, helping to increase circulation, increase oxygenation to the heart, and ultimately reduce pain.

"The good news is this treatment has a 80 percent success rate in doing that, reliving angina, and the benefits have been shown by research to last up to 3 years," says Wilson.

The treatment is non-invasive leaving a patient with no real trauma, like surgery often does. And many times, the procedure decreases the need for medications; all good news for a person who really was left with no other options for a healthy heart.

"My doctor, my cardiologist, he recommended it, I'm just going by them, and hoping for the best," says Wilson.

Memphis Alliance has invited more than 300 people, primarily physicians, nurses, and anyone else in the healthcare field, to an informative open house explaining the treatment they hope will become more widely accepted. The event is on Saturday from 10 am until 2 pm at the Memphis Heart Alliance at 5959 Park Avenue.