Catheterization
Physicians often refer patients for this test if they suspect the patient may have coronary artery disease, or blockages in the arteries of the heart. In this test, a catheter (small tube) is inserted into an artery in the groin. The tube is guided through this artery directly into the heart's arteries, where a liquid contrast agent is injected. The doctor watches on a x-ray monitor as the contrast liquid travels through the arteries of the heart. If arteries are blocked or damaged, the doctor will be see it very clearly. Throughout this procedure, patients are awake but medicated for comfort.

EMMC operates three state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs. Many hospitals can perform catheterizations to diagnose a problem, but EMMC is the only hospital in northern, central, and eastern Maine that can fix the problem, often during the same procedure. Approximately 35 percent of our patients undergoing a cardiac catheterization need to have a procedure, like angioplasty or stent placement, to fix problems that are found. Make sure you make the right choice for your heart catheterization – choose EMMC – where you can be diagnosed and treated all in the same place, often at the same time. For more information on our cardiac catheterization lab, click here.

Echocardiogram
This is a painless test in which we obtain an ultrasound image of the heart. A technician will apply a special gel on the chest and move a small device called a transducer across the chest above the heart. The transducer emits harmless, high frequency sound waves that bounce back off the heart and valves, producing images and sounds that help identify damage and disease.

Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram, often called an EKG or ECG, is a very common test in which a line-graph is created showing the electrical currents produced by the heart. First, several stick-on electrodes are attached to the patient in specific areas. These electrodes are connected by wires to a computer that generates a printout showing the heart's electrical activity translated into a line graph. The physician will be able to tell from the printout if the heart's rhythm is normal, where the heart may be damaged, and how serious the damage may be. Or, the physician can tell if the heart is responding well to current treatment.

This test can also be administered while a patient is exercising – called a "stress ECG". In this case, the patient exercises on a treadmill while hooked up with the electrodes. If the patient is unable to exercise, then a special drug can be given which speeds up the heart rate, as if the patient was actually exercising. The stress ECG will show if the heart is getting enough oxygen during exercise.

Electrophysiology Study
An electrophysiology (EP) study is often done when a patient has an abnormal heart rhythm, of which the cause can not be identified by other common tests. In an EP study, a catheter (small tube) is inserted into a vein in the leg and guided up into the heart. At the end of the catheter is a very small electrode that measures the electrical activity in the heart. Then the electrode is used to stimulate the heart with electric impulses, in order to induce the abnormal heart rhythm. When the abnormal rhythm is present, the physician can determine the cause of the abnormality. If appropriate, the physician can then use a specialty catheter that delivers radio frequency signals to destroy the tissue in the abnormal area and restore normal heart rhythm. This procedure is called an ablation.

Nuclear Cardiology Study
A heart scan, also called a perfusion scan, is a way of checking blood flow through the muscles, or walls, of the heart. During the test, a "tracer" (a small amount of radioactive matter is injected through a vein in the arm. A camera scans the tracer in the blood as it flows through the heart muscle. The doctor can then tell which areas of the heart are receiving blood and oxygen and which are not. This test is usually done before, during, and after exercise. If a patient cannot exercise, a medication is used to substitute for exercise.

Stress Test
This is an exercise test to tell if the heart is getting enough oxygen as the workload is increased. Also, the test measures how much work can be done safely. The test is done on a treadmill while the heart rate and rhythm are monitored.