Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is recognized as a semi-invasive technique
with increasing impact on diagnostic tools in cardiac surgery. Particularly, TEE plays
a role in patients undergoing cardiac valve repair or congenital heart surgery with
regard to the assessment of the operative success. Other proven roles of TEE are in
evaluating atheromatous disease of the aortic arch, detection of aortic dissection
and aneurysm, and diagnosis of pathologic findings within the heart and the pericardial
sac. The power of TEE in diagnosis and decision making may lead to an improved clinical
outcome which in turn may lead to a reduction in financial efforts.
Transesphageal echocardiography - Transthoracic echocardiography - Cardiac surgery
- Myocardial ischemia - Congenital heart disease
