Transesophageal Echocardiography

Transesophageal Echocardiogaphy is a specialized form of ultrasound where the probe is at the tip of a long, thin tube. A patient is given sedation and this tube is placed through the mouth and into the esophagus and stomach in order to make ultrasound pictures of the heart from the back side. These pictures are more detailed since there is no bone or lung tissue between the probe and the heart. This therapy is used in certain specialized situations to see details of the heart valves that might not be able to be visualized by regular echocardiography. This test is often performed after the patient has been placed under general anesthesia at the time of cardiac surgery to help the surgeon in accessing the appropriate valve treatment and to access the success of the valve treatment repairs.