Your doctor will request an ECG to assess the heart’s rate and rhythm, and may also order it before performing surgery, to check the effects of pacemakers, or as a routine check-up after a cardiac (heart) surgery.
The results allow your doctor to find heart problems including irregular heartbeat, irregular blood flow to the heart muscle, cardiac birth defects, and heart valve disease. The results can also allow your doctor to determine if a part of the heart is enlarged or is overworked.