Impact of external counterpulsation on microcirculation in patients with coronary heart disease complicated by chronic heart failure after surgical and endovascular myocardial revascularization

Abstract

To study the impact of external counterpulsation (ECP) on endothelial function and microcirculation in patients after myocardial revascularization (stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting) for functional class (FC) II-III chronic heart failure (CHF). Sixty patients aged 50 to 75 years after myocardial revascularization for FC II-III CHF were examined. All the patients received one-hour ECP sessions 5 times per week. The treatment cycle consisted of 35 sessions. To evaluate the microcirculatory bed, capillary blood flow was studied by laser Doppler flowmetry. The cycle of ECP in patients with FC II-III CHF after myocardial revascularization had a corrective effect on the microhemodynamic system. Microcirculatory changes were due to the normalized myogenic and neurogenic tone of arterioles and to increased oscillations in the endothelial range. The pronounced beneficial effect of ECP on the cardiovascular system in the examined patients was confirmed by a significant increase in exercise tolerance and by a statistically significant improvement in the results of 6-minute walk test. There was a decrease in FC heart failure. ECP is an effective, non-invasive treatment in patients with heart failure.