Matribhumi Heart Care is providing selected patients with non-invasive approaches to cardiac treatment, including Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) and Blood Cleansing Therapy (BCT), alongside conventional treatments such as stent placement and bypass surgery.
Dr Sadia Ali Olin, a physician at the institution, said the treatments aim to improve blood flow to the heart and may help develop alternative blood-flow pathways, commonly described as a “natural bypass”.
“The heart contains numerous small blood vessels, some of which are not highly active under normal conditions. EECP and BCT are used to help increase blood flow through these vessels,” she said.
She said improved blood circulation could help reduce chest pain caused by inadequate blood supply to the heart.
Explaining BCT, Dr Olin said a specific medicine is administered through saline and, according to their treatment approach, may help reduce the size of blockages. She described BCT as a supportive treatment used alongside EECP or natural bypass therapy.
The hospital has been providing the treatments since February 2022, she said, adding that the method was first developed in China and later underwent different stages of human trials in the United States.
Dr Olin claimed that the treatments had shown a success rate of more than 90-95% among their patients, with treatment failures being relatively rare.
She stressed that lifestyle and dietary changes remain important regardless of whether a patient undergoes bypass surgery, receives a stent or opts for non-invasive treatment.
“Reducing unhealthy carbohydrates and saturated fats and increasing vegetables and plant-based foods are important,” she said, also recommending a reduction in overall carbohydrate and fat intake.
According to Dr Olin, EECP generally involves 30-35 hours of treatment, with sessions of about one hour a day over 30-35 days. BCT generally involves at least 20 saline sessions, each lasting around three to three-and-a-half hours.
Patients normally do not need to be admitted to hospital for these treatments, she said.
The cost of 35 hours of EECP treatment is around Tk1.2 lakh, at Tk3,500 per hour, while each BCT saline medication costs around Tk4,000, bringing the cost of 20 sessions to about Tk80,000. The actual cost may vary depending on a patient’s prescription and treatment needs, she added.
Dr Olin said the institution also provides treatment at substantially reduced costs to poor, disadvantaged and lower-income patients under the management’s direction.
For further information, patients can contact Matribhumi Heart Care at 01324730514 and 01324730518. The centre is located at 1/1 Rupayan Taj, fifth and sixth floors, Culvert Road, Nayapaltan, Dhaka-1000.
Source: Agamir Somoy
