The patient puts on a pressure suit with air (pneumatic) cuffs, similar to the cuffs used to measure blood pressure. He or she then lies on a padded table equipped with three sets of electronically controlled inflation and deflation valves. The three valves are connected to the three cuffs, which are firmly wrapped around the calves, lower thighs and upper thighs. The valves are controlled by signals running from an electrocardiogram (EKG), a device that measures the heart’s electrical activity, to a microprocessor.

When the heart is resting (diastole), the three cuffs rapidly inflate in sequential order, from the cuff at the calf to the cuff at the upper thigh, which forces blood back to the heart. Patients will experience a sensation like a strong hug traveling up from their calves to their thighs. Then, just before the next heartbeat, the cuffs quickly deflate. The inflation/deflation cycle occurs between 60 and 80 times each minute during the session. The treatment is relatively painless, although some patients find the cuffs to be somewhat uncomfortable.

Sessions last one to two hours and are usually scheduled once a day. There is a resting period if a patient receives two sessions in a single day. Typically, an entire course of therapy is 35 hours in total. After treatment, the patient may return home. No special medication or invasive technique is required with EECP.

Because it is noninvasive, the risk of complications with this technique is very low. No medication or needles are required.