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Congenital Heart

Welcome to Maine Medical Partners - Congenital Heart. Our commitment to comprehensive and state-of-the-art care begins before birth, is child-centered and — thanks to marked advances in the field — now embraces adults living with congenital heart conditions.

Caring for children and adults with congenital heart disease requires a multidisciplinary effort. Our dedicated teams of doctors, nurses, and technicians are specifically trained and experienced to meet the unique clinical needs of congenital heart patients.

Team members work collaboratively, bringing their unique expertise to each case, which ensures a cohesive and integrated care plan for every patient. We are committed to ensuring the best possible care for children and adults with congenital heart disease in Northern New England.

Contact Us

Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Our fax number is 207-883-5552.

New patients require a doctor's referral.

Our Services

Echocardiography
Echocardiography has long been the mainstay of diagnostic imaging in structural heart disease. This test makes it possible for to see a beating heart in 3-dimensions, helping the doctor to make the best plan of care. Our echocardiography services include:

  • Transthoracic & Transesophageal Echocardiography: Ultrasound waves are used to examine the anatomy of the heart as well as heart function and blood flow.

  • Fetal Echocardiography: Ultrasound waves are used to examine the structure, function and rhythm of the fetal heart. Counseling on diagnosis, management and implications for pregnancy, labor and perinatal care are provided in close collaboration with your obstetrician.

   

Cardiac catheterization has long been an important tool for diagnosing congenital heart disease and helping to create a plan of care. Today, we can help treat many types of congenital heart disease using cardiac catheterization. Obstructed valves and blood vessels, such as pulmonary valve stenosis, or coarctation of the aorta, can be completely opened with current stent technology. More recent procedures, such as transcatheter valve placement, are now performed regularly, further extending the treatment capabilities of cardiac catheterization.

Electrophysiology
Electrophysiology services at Maine Medical Partners - Congenital Heart, Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, and Maine Medical Center provides expert comprehensive care for all rhythm disorders. We offer:

  • Rhythm and event monitoring

  • Exercise testing

  • Autonomic testing

  • Transesophageal and intracardiac electrophysiological testing

  • Non-fluoroscopic electroanatomic rhythm mapping

  • Pharmacologic therapy

  • Radio frequency

  • Cryoablation

   

Congenital Heart - Patient - ChristineCardiac MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is quickly becoming an essential non-invasive imaging test to determine cardiac function and vascular structure. This test helps the doctor to see two-dimensional slices of the heart from any angle.

What is MRI? 
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic imaging technology that uses strong magnet and radiofrequency waves to produce images of the heart and blood vessels. There is no radiation produced during acquisition of images by MRI. Because MRI allows us to non-invasively see inside the heart and blood vessels from any angle and with great clarity, it has replaced more invasive and time-consuming diagnostic modalities for many types of cardiac problems.

A stress test, sometimes called a treadmill test or exercise test, helps a doctor find out how well the heart handles work. These tests screen for muscle dysfunction, arrhythmias and causes of syncope.

We offer a full range of inpatient and outpatient adult congenital heart services:

  • Congenital cardiology diagnosis and management
  • Advanced imaging with cardiac MRI and CT
  • Congenital cardiac catheterization and transcatheter interventions
  • Congenital arrhythmia management and electrophysiological procedures
  • Congenital cardiac surgery

We care for adult patients with all forms of congenital heart conditions including:

  • Newly diagnosed congenital heart defects such as atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, and patent foramen ovale
  • Complex congenital heart disease who may have received care since childhood and now may require transition to adult medical services including family planning, genetic counseling, and ongoing cardiology care
  • Aortic diseases due to connective tissue disorders such as Marfans syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos, Loeys-Dietz syndrome
  • Coronary artery anomalies and Kawasaki’s disease
  • Pulmonary hypertension

For more information, call 207-885-9905

Giving Back

With a worldwide incidence of ~1%, most infants born with congenital heart disease will never receive a diagnosis, let alone the care that they need. That's why we extend our professional lives beyond the United States. Our outreach efforts in India and China focus on treating underserved patients and teaching local providers how to continue this important work after we leave. Meanwhile, our involvement with Camp Meridian and the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Maine help meet the non-medical needs of our patients close to home.