Central Maine Healthcare

Where You are the Center

Cardiovascular Services

Heart Failure

Your heart has a big job: To pump enough blood to every part of your body. A healthy heart has no trouble doing this, but in people with heart failure, which is also known as congestive heart failure, the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. The name “heart failure” is a little misleading. If you have heart failure your heart is still working; it simply isn’t working as well as it should.

Our cardiac specialists can provide you with the full range of care you need for heart failure. Our team of cardiologists, specially trained nurses and other care providers work closely with you to create a fully personalized treatment plan to treat your condition.

Although there is no cure for heart failure, medications, treatments and smart lifestyle choices can help you feel more comfortable and live a longer, more active life.

Give Your Heart a Break: Learn about Heart Failure

If you are one of the 5.7 million Americans living with heart failure, you understand that how hard your heart works. And if you suffer with diabetes, lung disease, coronary artery disease , arrhythmia, high blood pressure and other heart conditions, the impact is even greater.

If your heart weakens, it can cause fluid buildup in the lungs and other parts of the body. This fluid buildup can contribute to the most common signs and symptoms of heart failure, which include:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Trouble breathing
  • Fatigue 
  • Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs or abdomen
  • Swelling in the veins of the neck

What to Expect During Diagnosis

There is no single test used to diagnose heart failure. In addition to giving you a physical exam and talking with you about your medical history, your provider may administer one or more of the following diagnostic tests:

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG):  This test uses small sensors (electrodes) attached to your chest and arms to record electrical signals as they travel through your heart. 
  • Echocardiogram: In this noninvasive test, sound waves are used to produce a video image of your heart in motion. 
  • Cardiac stress test (also known as a treadmill test or exercise EKG or ECG): This test measures how your heart performs in response to exercise or stress by monitoring blood flow and oxygen levels as your heart beats faster and works harder.
  • Holter monitor:  Worn for one or two days, the Holter monitor is a small appliance that can be attached to a belt or a shoulder strap. Several electrodes placed on the chest connect to the monitor, which records heart rhythms. 
  • Chest X-ray: This test can show whether your heart is enlarged and whether you have fluid in your lungs. 
  • BNP blood test:This test measures the amount of a hormone in your blood known as BNP, which increases in people with heart failure.
  • Doppler ultrasound: This is a test that uses sound waves to learn more about how your blood is flowing through your heart and to your lungs. 
  • Nuclear heart scan: During this test, you receive an injection of a safe radioactive substance known as a tracer. Using special scanners, your provider can see images of your heart and learn more about how well blood is flowing through your heart. 
  • Catheterization and angiogram: During this test, a cardiologist guides a catheter (a thin plastic tube) through an artery in the arm or leg into coronary arteries. Dye is injected through the catheter, to make images that can be captured in an X-ray. This test can measure blood pressure and blood oxygen levels and detects blockages that may have to be repaired.
  • Cardiac MRI: This test uses magnets and radio waves to create images of your heart as it beats. It can show damage whether heart failure has caused damage to your heart. 

Work with a Specialist to Find the Right Treatment

Your treatment options for heart failure depend on the type and severity of heart failure you have and how early heart failure is diagnosed. Treatment strategies include:

  • Diagnosing and treating the causes of heart failure: For example, if your heart failure is caused by coronary artery disease, arrhythmia or high blood pressure, you’ll receive treatment or medication for those conditions. 
  • Improving symptoms: Treating symptoms such as excessive swelling can help you feel better. For example, medications can help lower your blood volume and make it easier for your heart to move blood throughout your body and diuretics can reduce fluid buildup in your lungs and swelling in your legs, ankles and feet. 
  • Making healthy lifestyle changes: Quitting smoking, improving your diet, being more active and losing weight may help relieve symptoms of heart failure and improve your outcome. 
  • Pacemaker:This small device, which is implanted near your heart, sends signals to your heart to help it beat at the correct pace. 
  • Implantable cardioverter defibrillator: This device, which is implanted near your heart, produces electrical pulses that can correct irregular heart rhythm and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac arrest. 
  • Mechanical heart pump: This device, which is surgically implanted in your chest, helps your heart pump blood. 
  • Heart transplant: This surgery, which is reserved for end-stage heart failure as a life-saving intervention, replaces your heart with a healthy heart from a deceased donor. 

Improve Quality of Life with Cardiac Rehabilitation

If you have heart failure or any other heart conditions, CMHVI offers cardiac rehabilitation as part of its Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program. Our cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that helps heart patients recover with an individualized plan that provides evaluation and instruction on physical activity, nutrition, stress management and other health-related areas as needed. Cardiac rehabilitation can make a significant difference in the lives of heart patients.

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Angina
  • Coronary artery angioplasty or stents
  • Open heart surgery such as coronary bypass or valve surgery
  • Heart failure
  • Heart transplantation

We also invite you to join Mended Hearts™, a patient-run support group affiliated with the American Heart Association that offers support and encouragement through its visiting program, monthly meetings and educational forums. To learn more, call 207-795-8230.

Cardiovascular Services Education and Support

We know you want to be healthy. Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute offers a wide variety of services and treatments to support you.

Whether you are managing a chronic condition or preparing for an upcoming procedure, our tools will help you navigate your care plan and better understand how you can improve your health.

Your heart health matters, not just for you, but for the ones you care about and depend on you. When it comes to heart and vascular disease, the statistics don’t lie – but the most encouraging piece of news is that you don’t have to be a statistic. No matter what your age, you can make lifestyle choices that will lower your risk of heart and vascular disease and prevent heart attack and stroke.

Glossary of Heart & Vascular Terms

Ace Inhibitor: Medication used to treat high blood pressure.

Angina (Angina Pectoris): Pain or discomfort which occurs when the heart does not receive adequate blood flow – and thus oxygen — to the heart muscle. Angina may be experienced in the chest, neck, jaw, arms, shoulder or back. No permanent damage is done to the heart.

Angioplasty: A procedure performed by cardiac surgeons to open an obstruction or narrowing of a blood vessel, using a balloon that is inserted with a catheter. Also known as a Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA).

Anticoagulant: A drug that slows or prevents the blood from clotting.

Aneurysm: An aneurysm is an abnormal widening of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can sometimes burst, causing a serious medical emergency. If not caught in time, they can be life-threatening.

Aorta: The main artery leaving the heart.

Arteries: Vessels that transport oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

Atrial Fibrillation:A rapid and irregular rhythm that begins in the upper chambers of the heart (the atria). As a result, the lower chambers also beat irregularly. This condition requires diagnosis and treatment.

Arterial Line: A small plastic tube that is placed in an artery in your wrist in order to monitor arterial blood pressure. Blood samples can also be taken through this tube.

Arrhythmia: An abnormal rhythm of the heart, including rate, regularity, or site of impulse origin. Types of arrhythmias include tachycardias (fast heart rhythms) and bradycardias (slow heart rhythms).

Atherosclerosis:A disease process in which fatty substances (plaque), such as cholesterol, are deposited on the inner lining of blood vessels.

Arteriosclerosis:Arteriosclerosis is a general term for a condition that is characterized by the thickening, hardening and loss of elasticity of the walls of the arteries.

Beta Blocker: Medication used to treat high blood pressure, angina, myocardial infarction and other heart conditions, by controlling the heart rate.

Bradycardia: An abnormally slow heart rhythm.

Bypass Graft (Vein, Mammary Artery, Aorta-Coronary Bypass Graft): A surgical procedure where a piece of vein, taken from the leg, or a piece or artery, taken from the inside of the chest wall, replaces a diseased coronary artery. The graft helps get more blood to the heart muscle.

Calcium Channel Blocker: A drug used to treat high blood pressure and angina. It decreases the workload of the heart by blocking the influx of calcium ions into the smooth muscle cells, which reduces the oxygen demand on the heart.

Cardiac: Relating to the heart.

Cardiac Angiogram or Catheterization: An X-ray procedure which involves the injection of dye into the heart chambers and into the coronary arteries for diagnostic purposes. An X-ray reveals the exact site where the artery is narrowed or blocked and measures how well the heart is pumping.

Catheter: A hollow, flexible tube used to withdraw or inject fluid into the body.

Chest Tube: A tube or tubes in the chest which drain fluids from the area of the operation. The chest tubes remain in place for approximately two days.

Cholesterol: A waxy substance that circulates in the blood and plays a role in the formation of blockages. Cholesterol originates in foods that are rich in animal fats.

Congestive Heart Failure: The condition which results when the heart is unable to pump adequately. Congestive heart failure (CHF) can result from coronary heart disease.

Coronary Arteries: Special arteries which supply the heart muscle with blood.

Coronary Artery Disease: A condition in which the arteries supplying the heart muscle become blocked. The cause of this is unknown, but some known risk factors include: hypertension, family history, smoking, diabetes, obesity, diet and stress.

Diabetes: A disease that negatively affects the metabolism of glucose (sugar) and cause changes in blood vessels that, untreated, may lead to circulation issues, development of coronary artery disease, blindness and other health issues.

Dilation: The gradual opening of the narrowed coronary artery by cracking and compressing the narrowing or obstructing plaque.

Echocardiogram: An ultrasound of the heart.

Electrocardiogram (EKG/ ECG): A recording of the electrical activity of the heart. The EKG recording can be used to detect many abnormalities in the heart.

Endotrachael Tube (ETT): Breathing tube placed in the trachea during surgery or respiratory emergencies to assist with breathing. Removed when the patient is able to breathe on his/her own.

Fibrillation: A rapid and irregular heart rhythm caused by abnormal electrical impulses. This is a potentially serious condition.

Fibrillation, Atrial : See Atrial Fibrillation.
Heart Lung Machine (Bypass): This machine performs the function of the heart and lungs in surgery, when grafts are being attached to the heart.

Hypertension:High blood pressure, usually above 135/85.

Hypotension:Low blood pressure. The tolerance for low blood pressure varies greatly, but generally a systolic blood pressure less than 90 indicates hypotension..

Hypercholesterolemia: Hypercholesterolemia refers to levels of cholesterol in the blood that are higher than normal.

Incentive Spirometer: This machine lets you know if you are breathing deeply enough. Respiratory therapists teach patients how to use the spirometer.

Ischemia:Lack of or insufficient oxygen to the heart muscle. Ischemia is a reversible condition if normal blood flow is restored.

IV (Intravenous): Small tubes which are placed into the veins for the purpose of giving fluids and drugs, taking blood samples, and measuring pressures. These “lines” as they are called, will remain in place for several days after surgery.

Left Ventricle: The largest chamber of the heart. It is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body.

Local (Anesthetic): Numbing medicine which is used to decrease discomfort when intravenous lines are put into place.

Lungs: Sponge-like organs of the body which allow oxygen to enter the blood when you breathe.

Mammary Artery: An artery that runs down the inside of the chest wall and is sometimes used in coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Murmur: A heart murmur is defined as the sound caused by turbulent blood flow through the heart, as heard by a provider through a stethoscope. Most heart murmurs are benign, but sometimes a murmur can indicate problems such as a malfunctioning heart valve.

Myocardial Infarction (M.I.):A “heart-attack”, with loss of part of the heart muscle due to a severe decrease in blood supply. Permanent damage to the heart occurs.

Myocarditis: An inflammatory disease of the heart muscle (myocardium) that can result from a variety of causes. While most cases are produced by a viral infection, an inflammation of the heart muscle may also be instigated by toxins, drugs, and hypersensitive immune reactions. Myocarditis is a rare but serious condition that affects both males and females of any age.

NG Tube (Nasogastric):A small tube placed through the nose and into the stomach to draw out secretions and lessen stomach upset immediately after surgery.

Pacemaker: Electronic device used to control the heart rate. Used after open heart surgery to maintain a steady heart rate for recovery, and, in emergencies, to stimulate the heart to bea

Pericarditis: Two thin membranes enclose the heart in a sac-like structure. If these membranes become irritated or inflamed, the condition is known as pericarditis. Pericarditis is fairly common, affecting about 1 in 1,000 people at some point in their lives. It can be caused by flu, polio, injury, or German measles. Other causes are rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. This condition sometimes follows a heart attack.

Pericardial Tamponade: Pericardial Tamponade is a dangerous form of pericarditis. The membranes enclosing the heart do not easily stretch, so if fluid accumulates between the membranes and the heart, pressure from it may prevent the heart from working as a pump. Pericardial tamponade usually is the result of trauma, such as an automobile accident, and must be treated immediately.

Percutaneous: Performed through a small opening in the skin.

Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA).: See Angioplasty.

Plaque: The accumulated wax-like material that causes a blockage in a blood vessel. Also known as a lesion or stenosis.

Platelets: A substance in the blood that is involved in the formation of a clot.

Pressure monitors and pressure lines: Devices used to measure the internal pressures that the heart and lungs are emitting. Usually inserted through arteries in the neck, arm or leg.

Pulmonary Function Studies: A series of tests which are performed before surgery to evaluate the condition of your lungs.

Restenosis:A re-narrowing or blockage of an artery at the same site where angioplasty was previously done.

Saphenous Vein: The large vein in the leg, often used as the “bypass graft” in coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Stenosis:A narrowing of any canal. Used to describe narrowed coronary arteries or a narrowed heart valve.

Stent: An expandable, slotted metal tube that is inserted into a vessel. A stent acts as a scaffold to provide structural support for a vessel.

Sternum: The breastbone.

Suctioning: A procedure performed on patients connected to a ventilator. A small tube placed down the throat draws out mucous, in order the keep the lungs clear.

Sutures (also called Stitches): The material used to close a surgical incision.

Tachycardia: An abnormally fast heart rate.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR): Surgeons insert a replace

Telemetry Monitory: A specialized wireless monitor that allows patients to move freely in their rooms and the hall, but still enables team members to observe their EKG.

Thrombosis:A blockage caused by clumps of cells.

Triglycerides: Substances in the blood that are a component of the “bad” type of cholesterol.

Valves: The heart has 4 valves: the aortic, mitral, pulmonary and the tricuspid.

  • Aortic Valve: The valve that sits at the junction of the left ventricle and the aorta. When the valve is open it allows blood to flow from the left ventricle to the aorta, and when closed, prevents any backward flow.
  • Aortic Insufficiency: An incomplete closing of the aortic valve, causing blood to flow backward into the left ventricle.
  • Aortic Stenosis: A narrowing of the aortic valve, causing the left ventricle to work harder, but limiting the amount of blood that can be pumped forward into the aorta.
  • Mitral Valve:The valve that sits between the left atrium and the left ventricle.
  • Mitral Insufficiency:An incomplete closing of the mitral valve, causing blood to flow backward into the left atrium.
  • Mitral Stenosis:A narrowing of the mitral valve, causing blood to flow backward into the left atrium.
  • Pulmonary Valve: The valve that sits at the junction of the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery.
  • Tricuspid Valve: The valve that sits between the right atrium and the right ventricle.

Veins: Vessels that transport blood back to the heart after the oxygen has been used by the body.

Vein Graft: A piece of a vein taken from either a leg or arm that is used to bypass the damaged coronary artery and restore blood flow to the heart muscle.

Ventilator:A machine that helps patients breathe after surgery.

Ventricle: One of the two lower chambers of the heart.

Ventricular Fibrillation: A very rapid, uncoordinated, ineffective series of contractions throughout the lower chambers of the heart. Unless stopped, these chaotic impulses are fatal.

Recipes for a Healthier Lifestyle

For many newly diagnosed cardiac and diabetes patients, part of the road to wellness includes making nutritional changes and other lifestyle behaviors. (For example, the patient may need to stop smoking, and/or start exercising and/or reduce or eliminate alcohol.)

Try some new recipes today.  Download a recipe or go to one of the websites under links to get started.

Keep the Beat Heart Healthy Recipes
Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style
Delicious Heart Healthy Latino Recipes

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
DASH Recipes
Recipe Analysis
Stay Young at Heart

Awards and Accreditations: Cardiovascular Services

Heart and Vascular Quality Care

The Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute is a state-of-the-art facility that uses evidence-based clinical practice, sound research and tested care principles to support excellent clinical outcomes. CMHVI is committed to providing continuous quality care to the communities we serve, our patients and their families. The providers and team members remain proud of the values that have served as a foundation for the program since its inception.

C = Compassion M = Mastery H = Honesty V = Vision I = Integrity

CMHVI is proud of these achievements:

  • Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke GOLD PLUS Central Maine Medical Center has received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award. The award recognizes the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence.
  • CMHVI Lifesaving Care from the American Heart Association
  • Cigna Center of Excellence for Cardiac Catheterization and Angioplasty
  • Cigna Center of Excellence for Heart Surgery
  • Named one of the Nation’s 50 top cardiovascular hospitals by IBM Watson Health
  • Accreditation for Quality Care in Advanced Primary Stroke by The Joint Commission
  • Chest Pain Center Accreditation – The American College of Cardiology

View more Central Maine Healthcare Awards and Accreditations

Contact Us: Cardiovascular Services

Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute

Central Maine Heart Associates
(207) 753-3900 | Practice Website

Central Maine Cardiovascular Surgery
(207) 795-8260 | Practice Website

CMHVI Diagnostic Testing Center
(207) 795-8200
60 High Street, Y1
Lewiston, Maine 04240

Testing Center services:

Wound Center
(207) 795-8260 | Practice Website

CMMC Single Stay Unit (SSU)
(207) 753-3907
60 High Street, Young Wing 3
Lewiston, Maine 04240

The 16-bed Single-Stay Unit allows patients to be cared for in the same room from recovery through discharge. The Single-Stay Unit’s (SSU) patient rooms are designed to meet the needs of patients and their families. Each room provides comfortable space and thoughtful amenities so loved ones can stay with the patient through the recovery process. The room design and the layout of the SSU create a very patient- and family-friendly atmosphere.

The SSU is an essential part of a seamless, comprehensive system that creates a beneficial relationship between patients, families and care providers. Such relationships can assist the healing process.

CMHVI Mailing Address:
Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute
300 Main Street
Lewiston, ME 04240

In addition to seeing patients at the main offices in Lewiston, CMHVI’s cardiologists care for patients at the following regional cardiology clinics:

Central Maine Heart Associates, Bridgton Hospital, Bridgton – (207) 753-3900

Central Maine Heart Associates, Rumford Hospital, Rumford – (207) 369-1130

Topsham Care Center, Topsham Fair Mall Road, Topsham – (207) 798-6300

For patients who are receiving care from CMHVI—we encourage you to call our care providers and support staff at Central Maine Heart Associates and Central Maine Cardiovascular Surgery if you have any questions.

Arbor House

Welcome to Arbor House

Built on the simple idea that nothing else should matter when you are focused on helping a family member get well, the Arbor House provides a safe place to stay, prepare meals and recharge while keeping close to a hospitalized loved-one throughout their treatment.

The Arbor House, located on CMMC’s campus, strives to offer all the comforts of home. It is warm, safe and comfortable.

Click here to read and review the Arbor House Policies, Procedures and Disclosures.

For more information about the Arbor House, call (207) 795-0111.

Donate to the Arbor House Fund Today!

Heart Attack

If you think you or a loved one is experiencing a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to drive to the hospital.

Each year, about 800,000 Americans have a heart attack, which happens when the blood supply to your heart is cut off. Having a heart attack is a frightening experience, but the good news is about 85 percent of people survive if treated quickly.

The best cure is prevention: as part of our commitment to cardiac and vascular health, we sponsor wellness and prevention programs throughout the region.

Around 85 percent of heart damage occurs within the first two hours of a heart attack, so be sure to call 911 right away if you or someone you’re with shows symptoms of a heart attack.

Certified for Rapid Response: CMMC’s Chest Pain Center

We are proud of the fact that our CMMC Chest Pain Center, which is part of our Emergency Department in Lewiston, is certified for its rapid-response care. If you come in with chest pain, the emergency professionals in our Chest Pain Center provide the immediate care you need. We treat all patients with chest pain as potential cardiac patients until we determine a definite diagnosis.

If you arrive at our Emergency Department with chest pain or other heart attack symptoms, you will be immediately connected to a cardiac monitor, receive oxygen and started on intravenous lines so that life-saving drugs can be administered quickly if needed. Our experienced emergency professionals conduct diagnostic testing to determine what’s causing your symptoms and once your condition is stable, we connect you with one or more cardiologists for possible follow-up care.

Know the Warning Signs of Heart Attack

It’s important to be aware of the signs of heart attack so that if you or someone you’re with is having a heart attack, you can get emergency care as rapidly as possible. Warning signs include:

  • Chest pain or discomfort that occurs in the center or left side of the chest; it may last for a few minutes or more or it may come and go
  • Pressure or a feeling of squeezing or fullness in the chest
  • Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or your back, neck, stomach or jaw
  • Shortness of breath
  • Cold sweat
  • Nausea (with or without vomiting)
  • Light-headedness or fainting

The signs of heart attack may look different in men than in women. Although men and women may both feel chest pain or pressure, women often don’t have chest pain with a heart attack. Instead, they may have other symptoms, such as shortness of breath or dizziness, that are less commonly associated with heart attack.

Keep in mind that your chance of having a heart attack goes up if you have risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes or if you smoke or have had a previous heart attack or stroke.

Learn How We Provide Diagnosis

To determine whether you’re having a heart attack, our chest pain specialists may conduct one or more of the following tests:

  • Blood tests: These tests measure certain enzymes in your blood. For example, high levels of an enzyme known as troponin in the blood can indicate a heart attack has taken place.
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): A test that measures heart rate, monitors the heart’s electrical system and provides images of the heart’s structures, assessing heart and valve health and blood flow.
  • Chest X-ray: X-rays may show whether the heart muscle has been damaged.
  • Echocardiogram: An ultrasound test that uses sound waves and the echoes they produce to obtain highly detailed images of the walls and chambers of the heart.
  • Cardiac stress test (also known as a treadmill test or exercise EKG or ECG): A test that measures how your heart performs in response to exercise or stress. This test monitors blood flow and oxygen levels as your heart beats faster and works harder.
  • Nuclear stress test: A test that assesses the blood flow to your heart by taking two sets of pictures of your heart: one set while you’re at rest and the second while your heart is being stressed by exercise, medication or a combination of both. Radioactive material is injected into your vein to highlight healthy and damaged tissue in the pictures.

Get Access to a Range of Treatments

Heart attack treatment varies based on several factors, including the type and severity of the attack and other health considerations. After we determine that you’re having a heart attack, we may provide one or more of the following treatments:

  • Medications: Depending on the type and extent of your heart attack, as well as any other health conditions you have, your provider may prescribe drugs such as anticoagulants, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-lowering medications, diuretics or vasodilators.
  • Thrombolysis: A procedure in which a clot-dissolving agent is injected to restore blood flow in a coronary artery.
  • Catheterization and balloon angioplasty: A test in which an inflatable balloon-type tool is used to compress plaque against artery walls, allowing increased blood flow. Balloon angioplasty is performed during a catheterization.
  • Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI): Also known as angioplasty and stent treatment, PCI implants a tiny mesh tube in an artery to prevent plaque from blocking the blood vessel. After clearing blockage in an artery, your provider uses a catheter to place the stent in the newly opened artery. The stent helps hold the artery open and reduces the chance that plaque will block the artery again.
  • Coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG): Also known as heart bypass surgery, this procedure is open-heart surgery requiring general anesthesia. During bypass surgery the surgeon removes a piece of a healthy blood vessel from your leg, arm or chest wall to use as a graft to create a new path for blood flow around a blocked artery. One end of the healthy graft is sewn to the blood vessel just below the blocked artery. The other end of the graft is sewn above the blocked artery. Blood can then flow around the blocked area. After bypass surgery, blood moves more freely through the coronary arteries, lowering the risk of heart attack.

Recover with Cardiac Rehabilitation

If you have a heart attack or any other heart conditions, we offer cardiac rehabilitation as part of our Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program. Our cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program that helps you recover with an individualized plan that provides evaluation and instruction on physical activity, nutrition, stress management and other health-related areas as needed. Cardiac rehabilitation can make a significant difference in your quality of life after a heart attack.

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Angina
  • Coronary artery angioplasty or stents
  • Open heart surgery such as coronary bypass or valve surgery
  • Heart failure
  • Heart transplantation

As a heart attack survivor, you will also be invited to join Mended Hearts™, a patient-run support group affiliated with the American Heart Association that offers support and encouragement through its visiting program, monthly meetings and educational forums. To learn more, call: (207) 795-8230.

Coronary Artery Disease

In a healthy heart, blood flows smoothly and easily through clear arteries and the heart gets all the oxygen it needs. But if you are diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD), the arteries that bring blood to your heart become hardened and narrowed by plaque buildup, reducing the amount of oxygenated blood delivered to your heart.

As the leading cause of heart attacks and death in the United States, it’s important to take a CAD diagnosis seriously. Our board-certified cardiovascular providers can help ease your concerns and improve your outlook by providing a full range of state-of-the-art cardiac care. In our Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, known as our Cath Lab, we perform a range of diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures, including heart catheterization to assess and diagnose CAD, and treat with angioplasty and stent placement.

CAD: The Most Common Type of Heart Disease

If you have CAD, you’re not alone. It’s the most common type of heart disease in the United States. CAD occurs when cholesterol and other materials build up on the insides of your arteries. This buildup, known as atherosclerosis, starves your heart muscle of oxygen and may create pain, which is known as angina. If plaque breaks up, a blood clot can form and cut off blood supply to your heart, causing a heart attack. CAD can also lead to other heart conditions, such as arrhythmia or heart failure.

Although you may never experience symptoms from CAD, especially in the early stages, if you have any of these symptoms, talk to one of our specialists to determine if you have the disease.

  • Chest pain or discomfort, especially with activity or emotion
  • Heaviness or pressure on your chest, under your breast bone or in your neck, upper back, stomach or arms
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue
  • A general feeling of weakness

Determining Your Diagnosis

We offer a full range of tests to diagnose CAD and other cardiac conditions. Our diagnostic tests, many of which are non-invasive, offer safe, painless ways to check your cardiac function and determine the extent to which plaque may be blocking your arteries. Our specialists use the latest tests and tools to diagnose CAD, including:

  • Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG): A test that measures heart rate, monitors the heart’s electrical system and provides images of the heart’s structures, assessing heart and valve health and blood flow. 
  • Cardiac stress test (also known as a treadmill test or exercise EKG or ECG): A test that measures how your heart performs in response to exercise or stress. This test monitors blood flow and oxygen levels as your heart beats faster and works harder.
  • Pharmacological (medication-induced) stress echocardiogram: A stress test that uses medication to stimulate exercise for patients who are unable to exercise safely.
  • Metabolic stress testing: A test that measures the performance of the heart and lungs while under physical stress. Like an exercise stress test, it includes an analysis of your respiratory system.
  • Nuclear stress test: A test that assesses the blood flow to your heart by taking two sets of pictures of your heart: one set while you’re at rest and the second while your heart is being stressed by exercise, medication or a combination of both. Radioactive material is injected into your vein to highlight healthy and damaged tissue in the pictures. 
  • Coronary arteriogram (or angiogram): With this procedure, X-rays are taken to locate the narrowing, occlusions and other abnormalities of specific arteries.
  • Echocardiogram (Echo): An ultrasound test that uses sound waves and the echoes they produce to obtain highly detailed images of the walls and chambers of the heart.
  • Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE): This test is like an echocardiogram but is for patients who have conditions such as serious lung disease, immobility or excess weight that may interfere with the creation of high-quality images with a standard echocardiogram. Instead of using an external ultrasound transducer, this test passes the transducer into the esophagus or stomach through a thin swallowing tube. 
  • Catheterization (Cath) and angiogram: This test, which is used both for CAD diagnosis and treatment, creates images that can be captured in an X-ray of artery blockages that may require repair. During the catheterization, a thin flexible tube called a catheter is inserted through a blood vessel in your groin (or sometimes in your arm) and guided toward the blocked vessel. Dye injected through the catheter allows images of your blood vessels to appear on a monitor for analysis.
  • Diagnostic peripheral arterial catheterization: This test is used to diagnose artery disease and blockage that occurs outside the heart, such as in the legs. 

Treatment Options Available to You

Once we have a full understanding of your condition, as well as your health history and your risk factors, we work with you to develop a treatment plan that best meets your needs. We provide a wide range of CAD treatments, including:

  • Catheterization and balloon angioplasty: A test in which an inflatable balloon-type tool is used to compress plaque against artery walls, allowing increased blood flow. Balloon angioplasty is performed during a catheterization. 
  • Angioplasty and coronary stent replacement: A stent is a tiny mesh tube that our providers implant in an artery to prevent plaque from blocking the blood vessel. Stents may be implanted in arteries in your heart (coronary arteries), neck (carotid arteries) or liver. After clearing blockage in an artery, your provider uses a catheter to place the stent in the newly opened artery. The stent helps hold the artery open and reduces the chance that plaque will block the artery again. 
  • Coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG): Also known as heart bypass surgery, this procedure isopen-heart surgery requiring general anesthesia. During bypass surgery the surgeon removes a piece of a healthy blood vessel from your leg, arm or chest wall to use as a graft to create a new path for blood flow around a blocked artery. One end of the healthy graft is sewn to the blood vessel just below the blocked artery. The other end of the graft is sewn above the blocked artery. Blood can then flow around the blocked area. After bypass surgery, blood moves more freely through the coronary arteries, lowering the risk of heart attack. 

Cardiac Rehab for a Smooth Recovery

We help our CAD patients get back on track with a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program. Our Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program ensures exceptional care for all our patients. Our team guides you and your loved ones to achieve a good quality of life after surgery or other cardiac treatment. The program is held on the first floor of the Young wing in the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Department.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program to help you recover by following an individualized plan that provides evaluation and instruction on physical activity, nutrition, stress management and other health-related areas as needed. Cardiac rehabilitation will help you achieve greater quality of life when recovering from CAD and other heart conditions such as:

  • Heart attack
  • Angina
  • Coronary artery angioplasty or stents
  • Open heart surgery such as coronary bypass or valve surgery
  • Heart failure
  • Heart transplantation

You will need to obtain a referral from your provider to enter our cardiopulmonary program; however, we encourage you to call us for more information (207) 795-8225 for assistance in accessing our services or to answer any questions you may have about our program.

Conditions We Treat: Cardiovascular Services

Find the Beat Again with Arrhythmia Care

If your heart beats too quickly, too slowly or irregularly, you may be experiencing an arrhythmia. Our heart rhythm specialists (electrophysiologists, or EPs), diagnose and treat arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and other problems with the heart’s electrical system. Treatments include implanting medical devices to regulate your heart and minimally invasive procedures that use either heat (radiofrequency) or cold energy (cryoablation) to modify abnormal heart tissue and restore a healthy rhythm.

Clear Up Coronary Artery Disease

Being diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) means the arteries that bring blood to your heart have hardened and narrowed by a buildup of plaque on their inner walls, reducing the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart. Our board-certified cardiologists offer answers through a full range of state-of-the-art CAD care. In our cardiac catheterization lab, we provide diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures, including heart catheterization, angioplasty, trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and stent placement.

Nationally Recognized Heart Attack Care

Heart attacks strike 800,000 Americans each year. You’re most likely to survive a heart attack if you receive emergency treatment as quickly as possible. Our nationally certified Chest Pain Center, part of our Emergency Department in Lewiston, is ready around the clock to provide rapid-response care. If you or a loved one report chest pain, we will treat you as a potential cardiac patient until we determine a definite diagnosis. If you suffer a heart attack, we also offer personalized rehabilitation to help restore your quality of life and reduce your chances of having another episode.

Get Your Life Back after Heart Failure

When you suffer heart failure, your heart can’t pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs. Our cardiac specialists can provide you with the full range of care you need for heart failure. You’ll also have access to our comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program to help regain the highest possible quality of life.

Relieve Pain from Peripheral Artery Disease

Just as the arteries in your heart can become narrowed and blocked by atherosclerosis, so too can the arteries that bring blood elsewhere in your body, such as your legs, causing severe pain and other potential problems. This condition is known asperipheral artery disease (PAD). Our board-certified vascular/endovascular providers can provide you with the care you need to feel better and to prevent future problems, such as medication and information about lifestyle interventions.

Find the Right Solution for Structural Heart Disease

If you are one of the millions of Americans who suffer with structural heart diseases such as aortic stenosis, the heart surgeons at CMHVI can help. We offer expertise in all types of structural heart procedures, including valve repair and replacement. In addition to open heart surgery, we offer aortic valve replacement (AVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)—a revolutionary, minimally invasive alternative to open heart surgery.

Get Relief from Vein Disorders

If you experience leg pain or leg swelling, you may suffer from vein disorders that can result in serious, potentially life-threatening blood clots. CMH Heart & Vascular Care offers a full range of vein treatments to help repair or manage your vein disorders, reducing associated health risks.

Cardiovascular services

Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute (CMHVI) brings skilled medical specialists and innovative treatments to the people of central Maine and beyond, including rural areas whose residents previously had limited access to high-quality care. We provide a wide array of services ranging from conservative medical care and rehabilitation to surgery for common, and sometimes complex, heart and vascular conditions. We also focus heavily on educating our community and preventing disease before it develops.

Our cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, and other skilled professionals provide specialty care to inpatients at CMHVI and Central Maine Medical Center. Outpatient care is delivered from CMHVI’s Lewiston offices and at other locations throughout central and western Maine.

We are also committed to preventing stroke and providing rapid, appropriate treatment to stop or mitigate its debilitating effects. Recognized by The American College of Cardiology Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary PCI for its demonstrated expertise and commitment to treating patients with chest pain.

Meet our providers

Ralph’s story

“Ralph and his wife were driving home on a January day when he began sweating profusely and felt sick to his stomach. Ralph sped up and crossed into the opposite lane. “Debbie started to holler for me to slow down and that was the last thing I heard before passing out,” Read More…