Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Cheyenne Regional Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Services provides Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) to treat severe depression, mania and schizophrenia. Treatment takes place in the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.

If your physician has determined you’re a candidate for ECT, your treatment will be administered by a team of physicians, including an anesthesiologist and a psychiatrist.

During ECT, you’ll be placed under general anesthesia, given muscle relaxants and oxygen, and then receive a brief electrical stimulation to the scalp. Total time in treatment and recovery for each session is about two to three hours, with most of that time spent getting prepared for treatment and in recovery.

ECT is usually provided two or three times a week for a total of six to 12 treatments, though you may need ongoing maintenance treatments after your initial course of treatment. If this is the case, maintenance treatments are usually much less frequent.

For more information about receiving ECT at Cheyenne Regional, please call (307) 633-7370.