Myocardial Biopsy

This technique is used to diagnose muscle disorders of the heart or to follow heart transplant patients. A myocardial biopsy is usually performed by threading a special instrument through a needle puncture in the vein of the neck, underneath the collarbone, or in the groin. This test is essentially painless because the puncture site is numbed first. A small piece of heart tissue is removed for microscopic examination.