Equipment : Basically, it has an intra aortic balloon pump. A balloon with a capacity of 40 ml is passed percutaneously through the femoral artery up to the upper end of descending thoracic aorta. The tip of the balloon has radio opaque marker and should be placed below the left subclavian artery. An inert gas like helium is pumped into the balloon, lo synchronise with diastole. The balloon is deflated during systole. Synchronisation is achieved by ECG trigger or aortic pressure wave. This will cause diastolic augmentation of blood pressure (counter pulsation) causing augmentation of coronary and cerebral blood flow. When the pump deflates during systole, there is reduction in the after load and of
inyocardial oxygen consumption. This improves cardiac output by 10 per cent and helps recovery of myocardium.