Project description:Introduced in 1977, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) offered imaging through a new acoustic window sitting directly behind the heart, allowing improved evaluation of many cardiac conditions. Shortly thereafter, TEE was applied to the intraoperative environment, as investigators quickly recognized that continuous cardiac evaluation and monitoring during surgery, particularly cardiac operations, were now possible. Among the many applications for perioperative TEE, this review will focus on four recent advances: three-dimensional TEE imaging, continuous TEE monitoring in the intensive care unit, strain imaging, and assessment of diastolic ventricular function.
Project description:The long-term sequelae of mantle therapy include, especially lung and cardiac disease but also involve the vessels and the organs in the neck and thorax (such as thyroid, aorta, and esophagus). We presented the case of 66-year-old female admitted for congestive heart failure in radiation-induced heart disease. The patient had undergone to massive radiotherapy 42 years ago for Hodgkin's disease (type 1A). Transesophageal echocardiography was performed unsuccessfully with difficulty because of the rigidity and impedance of esophageal walls. Our case is an extraordinary report of radiotherapy's latency effect as a result of dramatic changes in the structure of mediastinum, in particular in the esophagus, causing unavailability of a transesophageal echocardiogram.
Project description:We report a rare case of sinus of Valsalva aneurysm of both right and left coronary sinus (LCS), with perforation of the LCS opening into the left ventricle. The LCS aneurysm with its perforation was undiagnosed on transthoracic echocardiography emphasizing the role of transesophageal echocardiography in delineating the anatomy.
Project description:IntroductionTransesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has become an important imaging modality for anesthesiologists to monitor and identify major cardiothoracic pathology in both noncardiac and cardiac surgical patients during the perioperative period. Knowledge in basic TEE sonoanatomy and the ability to obtain 11 basic views is a necessary foundation for junior residents so they may focus on using TEE as a monitor and tool to identify major cardiothoracic pathology later in their training.MethodsThe purpose of the rotation is to introduce TEE image acquisition to clinical anesthesia Year 1 (CA-1) and CA-2 residents. In this module, the anesthesiology resident is assigned to a specific TEE-week rotation in the cardiovascular center. There are three main components to our TEE curriculum: (1) web-based and simulator-based exposure to image acquisition and sonoanatomy, (2) intraoperative exposure to image acquisition and sonoanatomy, and (3) the 11 standard basic TEE views worksheet and assessment tool.ResultsUsing the 11 standard basic TEE views assessment tool, 100% of the residents who went through the curriculum were able to obtain at least nine of the 11 views without prompting. Forty-five percent (n = 5) of CA-1 were able to obtain all 11 views without prompting, while 58% of the CA-2s were able to obtain all 11 views without prompting.DiscussionThe preliminary results from our TEE curriculum are promising. We hope that this early exposure will lead to better learning on the residents' cardiac rotations in the CA-2 and CA-3 years by allowing them to start recognizing major pathology on TEE early on.
Project description:Background To clarify differences in clinical significance of intracardiac thrombi in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation-associated stroke as identified by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Methods and Results Using patient data on nonvalvular atrial fibrillation-associated ischemic stroke between 2011 and 2014 from 15 South Korean stroke centers (n=4841) and 18 Japanese centers (n=1192), implementation rates of TEE/TTE, and detection rates of intracardiac thrombi at each center were correlated. The primary outcome was recurrent ischemic stroke at 1 year after the onset. A total of 5648 patients (median age, 75 years; 2650 women) were analyzed. Intracardiac thrombi were detected in 75 patients (1.3%) overall. Thrombi were detected in 7.8% of patients with TEE (either TEE alone or TEE+TTE: n=679) and in 0.6% of those with TTE alone (n=3572). Thrombus detection rates varied between 0% and 14.3% among centers. As TEE implementation rates at each center increased from 0% to 56.7%, thrombus detection rates increased linearly (detection rate [%]=0.11×TEE rate [%]+1.09 [linear regression], P<0.01). TTE implementation rates (32.3%-100%) were not associated with thrombus detection rates (P=0.53). Intracardiac thrombi were associated with risk of recurrent ischemic stroke overall (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.35, 95% CI, 1.07-5.16). Thrombus-associated ischemic stroke risk was high in patients with TEE (aHR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.17-8.35), but not in those with TTE alone (aHR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.12-6.51). Conclusions Our data suggest clinical relevance of TEE for accurate detection and risk stratification of intracardiac thrombi in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation-associated stroke. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01581502.
Project description:Malposition of venous cannula can cause inadequate venous drainage during cardiopulmonary bypass. It would be good clinical practice to use TEE to check the position of inferior venous cannula to avoid this problem at the earliest.
Project description:PURPOSE:The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has evolved to include patients undergoing high-risk non-cardiac procedures and patients with significant cardiac disease undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Implementation of basic TEE education in training programs has increased across a broad spectrum of procedures in the perioperative arena. This paper describes the use of perioperative TEE in non-cardiac surgery and provides an overview of the basic TEE examination. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Perioperative TEE is used to monitor hemodynamic parameters in non-cardiac procedures where there is a high risk of hemodynamic instability. Its use extends to include moderate-risk procedures for patients with significant cardiac diseases such as low ejection fraction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe valve lesions, or congenital heart disease. Vascular procedures involving the aorta, blunt trauma, and liver transplantation are all examples of procedures that may benefit from TEE. Transesophageal echocardiography examination allows assessment of volume status, ventricular function, diagnosis of gross valvular pathology and pericardial tamponade, as well as close monitoring of cardiac output, response to therapy, and the impact of ongoing surgical manipulation. In patients with unexplained and unexpected hemodynamic instability, "rescue TEE" can be used to help identify the underlying cause. CONCLUSIONS:Perioperative TEE is emerging as a preferred tool to manage hemodynamics in high-risk procedures and in high-risk patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. A rescue TEE examination protocol is a helpful approach for early identification of the etiology of hemodynamic instability.
Project description:BACKGROUND: In about one third of all patients with cerebral ischemia, no definite cause can be identified (cryptogenic stroke). In many patients with initially suspected cryptogenic stroke, however, a cardiogenic etiology can eventually be determined. Hence, the aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of abnormal echocardiographic findings in a large number of these patients. METHOD: Patients with cryptogenic cerebral ischemia (ischemic stroke, IS, and transient ischemic attack, TIA) were included. The initial work-up included a neurological examination, EEG, cCT, cMRT, 12-lead ECG, Holter-ECG, Doppler ultrasound of the extracranial arteries, and transthoracic echocardiography. A multiplane transeophageal echocardiography (TEE, including i.v. contrast medium application [Echovist], Valsalva maneuver) was performed in all patients RESULTS: 702 consecutive patients (380 male, 383 IS, 319 TIA, age 18-90 years) were included. In 52.6% of all patients, TEE examination revealed relevant findings. Overall, the most common findings in all patients were: patent foramen ovale (21.7%), previously undiagnosed valvular disease (15.8%), aortic plaques, aortic valve sclerosis, atrial septal aneurysms, regional myocardial dyskinesia, dilated left atrium and atrial septal defects. Older patients (> 55 years, n = 291) and patients with IS had more relevant echocardiographic findings than younger patients or patients with TIA, respectively (p = 0.002, p = 0.003). The prevalence rates of PFO or ASD were higher in younger patients (PFO: 26.8% vs. 18.0%, p = 0.005, ASD: 9.6% vs. 4.9%, p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: A TEE examination in cryptogenic stroke reveals contributing cardiogenic factors in about half of all patients. Younger patients had a higher prevalence of PFO, whereas older patients had more frequently atherosclerotic findings. Therefore, TEE examinations seem indicated in all patients with cryptogenic stroke - irrespective of age - because of specific therapeutic consequences.
Project description:BackgroundAlthough echocardiography has been incorporated into the diagnostic algorithm of patients with suspected infective endocarditis (IE), systematic usage in clinical practice remains ill defined. To determine the diagnostic accuracy of detecting vegetations using harmonic transthoracic echocardiography (hTTE) as compared to transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with an intermediate likelihood of native valve IE.MethodsBetween 2004 and 2005, 36 consecutive inpatients with an intermediate likelihood of disease were prospectively evaluated by hTTE and TEE.ResultsOf 36 patients (21 males with a mean age of 57 +/- 15 years, range 32 to 86 years), 19 patients had definite IE by TEE. The sensitivity for the detection of vegetations by hTTE was 84%, specificity of 88%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 89% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 82%. The association between hTTE and TTE interpretation for the presence and absence of vegetations were high (kappa = 0.90 and 0.85 respectively).ConclusionIn patients with an intermediate likelihood of native valve IE, TTE with harmonic imaging provides diagnostic quality images in the majority of cases, has excellent concordance with TEE and should be recommended as the first line test.