counterpulsation

English

Etymology

counter- +‎ pulsation

Noun

counterpulsation (countable and uncountable, plural counterpulsations)

1. A procedure used to mitigate angina, heart failure, or cardiomyopathy, in which pneumatic cuffs are timed to inflate and deflate based on the individual's electrocardiogram, decreasing the afterload that the heart has to pump against and increasing the preload that fills the heart.