• Less recurrent chest pain
• Less ventricular fibrillation
• Reduction or elimination of shock symptoms
• Decrease in heart size
• Less progression to cardiac failure
• Afterload reduction
• Increased quality of life
• Decreased mortality rates

(Weisfogel et al 2001) recently reported that for a group of 58 patients, CCSF class was reduced from 2.67 to 1.71 (36%). Overall, 84% of the patients (49 of 58) experienced a reduction in their CCSF classification, while 16% of the patients (9 of 58) showed no improvement. In addition, 91% of the patients experienced a reduction in their anginal episodes per 24 hour period post-treatment. Of the 24 patients who had been hospitalized in the six months prior to treatment, only one (4%) required hospitalization in the six month period after treatment. Medication consumption also decreased 77.4%. The paper concluded that ECP significantly reduces CCSF angina class, the incidence of anginal episodes, hospitalization for angina and anti-anginal medication use.

Lasting Perfusion Benefits
It is believed that the accumulation of the increased diastolic pressure may stimulate the opening of collateral channels in the coronary vascular system.

(Lawson et al 1995) reported that follow-up with many patients that have had initial improvement, those benefits were sustained at a 3-year follow-up. Improved myocardial perfusion of ischemic areas as demonstrated through thallium-201 imaging suggest these patients may have responded to the therapy via enhanced coronary collateral development or function (See images below).

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