ECP Treatments

Soffer LIT Methods

At Soffer Heart, we utilize the Soffer LIT methods and philosophy to treat all of our patients. LIT, which stands for Least Invasive Techniques, seeks to use the least invasive or unnatural technique whenever possible. LIT is based on the principle that, first and foremost, the body should be permitted to heal itself wherever possible.

Day in, day out, at Soffer Health Institute, this philosophy permeates all that we do. It is why we stand apart from other cardiology offices. After practicing for almost 20 years, intimately training cardiologists from around the world in the most up to date technologies and research, speaking in front of nearly all of the major pharmaceutical companies and medical associations, and becoming a leader in the field of cardiology, Dr. Soffer has come to the realization that the Soffer LIT methods provide the best improvement, overall quality of life and satisfaction for his patients. Espousing the Soffer LIT methods is engrained in each member of our staff and is the mantra of the Soffer Health Institute.

We feel that we owe it to our patients to exhaust all Soffer LIT methods before recommending more invasive techniques that cause a greater burden and stress on the body.

Cardiology Treatments

After meeting with you and performing a thorough diagnostic evaluation, we tailor a treatment specifically for you depending on the cause and severity of your cardiological condition. Recommended treatment may include one or a combination of the following:

External Counter Pulsation (ECP)

Offered uniquely by the Soffer Heart Institute, ECP therapy is a safe, non-invasive, outpatient treatment option for patients suffering from ischemic heart diseases such as angina and heart failure. Clinical studies show, over 75% of patients benefit from ECP therapy and sustain improvement up to three years post-treatment.

Medications

Aspirin
Aspirin acts as a blood thinner and reduces the tendency for blood to clot within a narrowed coronary artery.
Nitroglycerin
Nitroglycerin provides relief from chest pain (angina) by slightly relaxing or dilating narrowed blood vessels, and improving the blood flow to your heart.
Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers slow your heart rate and reduce your blood pressure.
Cholesterol-lowering medications
Cholesterol-lowering medications can reduce the formation of blockages in your heart arteries.
ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors). ACE inhibitors lower your blood pressure and may improve heart function after heart attacks.
Calcium channel blockers
These medications dilate your coronary arteries and reduce high blood pressure. Similar to nitroglycerin, they also may relieve angina.
Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins
These supplements may reduce heart disease risk factors, such as high cholesterol.

Healthy lifestyle programs

Living a healthy lifestyle can prevent or slow development of coronary artery disease. Soffer Health offers many services and programs to encourage a healthy lifestyle, including:

Heart disease risk management
We analyze your risk of future heart disease and develops an individualized plan to reduce your risk of heart disease for the rest of your life.
Heart-healthy diet and nutrition
We advise you and your family about healthy diets and nutrition to reduce the risk of future heart attacks.
Regular exercise and physical activity
We help you develop regular exercise habits.
Smoking cessation assistance
We help you quit using tobacco, which is a leading cause of coronary artery disease and has several other negative effects on your body.
Stress Reduction
We realize the magnitude of the heart/mind connection and help you use stress reduction techniques to augment traditional cardiovascular treatment. More and more studies have concluded that stress is one of the most significant factors in getting and, ultimately, worsening heart disease. By reducing stress, our staff psychotherapist specializes in reducing one of the biggest risk factors in heart disease and its progression in our society and makes the Soffer Heart Institute one of the only practices in the country to have a true “cardiac psychology” treatment philosophy.

Catheter-assisted and surgical procedures

While it is our philosophy to employ the Soffer LIT methods prior to recommending more invasive treatments, inevitably, some patients will require some form of invasive surgery to improve their conditions. In so doing, one or more of the following may be recommended to open blocked artieries:

Coronary angioplasty and stents
During angioplasty, a long, thin tube (catheter) is inserted through the arteries to your heart. A small balloon is inflated at the end of the catheter inside your blocked coronary artery. The balloon is used to reduce the narrowing in the artery and therefore, allows blood to flow more freely. In a large portion of cases, a small metal wire tube (stent) is inserted in the coronary artery to permanently open it. To reduce the risk of the blockage returning, sometimes stents may be medically coated. While open heart surgery may be too risky for some patients, stent placement might provide a less risky and life saving alternative.

Magnetic-assisted intervention
Magnetically assisted procedures, a cutting edge technology, now allow for the treatment of blockages that previously required open-heart surgery. Benefitting from the precision afforded by computer-controlled magnets during surgery, complex angioplasty and stent procedures can now be performed, where open heart surgery was once the only option.

Coronary artery bypass surgery
During this invasive surgery, a detour around a blocked coronary artery is created using a new blood vessel (graft).

Minimally invasive heart surgery
Minimally invasive heart surgeries result in shorter hospital stays and faster recovery by using smaller incisions and robot-assisted surgery.