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Role of Transesophageal Echocardiography in General Anesthesia

  • Cardiovascular Anesthesia (J Fassl, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of the Review

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), a relatively non-invasive method, is an ideal intraoperative monitoring tool. In this review, we evaluated all potential applications of TEE in general anesthesia.

Recent Findings

The uses of intraoperative TEE have expanded over the years. TEE’s main application is in the intraoperative assessment and monitoring of the cardiac function. Its impact in clinical decision making has been demonstrated in non-cardiac surgery in the operating room and as a rescue in case of hemodynamic instability and cardiac arrest. TEE may also provide more complete quantitative hemodynamic monitoring of intracardiac pressures as the pulmonary artery catheter. Newer intraoperative TEE application includes imaging of extra-cardiac structures such as the kidney, the intrahepatic inferior vena cava, the lungs, the pleura space, and the epidural space. Several scanning protocols have been proposed ranging from a focused to a comprehensive cardiac assessment. Current guidelines for intraoperative use of TEE include basic and advanced TEE exam.

Summary

Intraoperative TEE is a very powerful tool in the hands of the TEE trained anesthesiologist. It has a positive safety profile but requires a significant initial manpower and financial investment. While less expensive equipment has become available, specific training is necessary and requires a significant time commitment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street EN 3-400, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada

    Jacobo Moreno Garijo, Azad Mashari & Massimiliano Meineri

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  1. Jacobo Moreno Garijo
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Correspondence to Massimiliano Meineri.

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Jacobo Moreno Garijo, Azad Mashari, and Massimiliano Meineri declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

The original version of this article was revised: The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The reference citation “[4•]” under the sections “Central Venous Pressure”, “Pulmonary Artery Pressures”, and “Pulmonary Capillary Wedge Pressure” should be reference number “[5•].”

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cardiovascular Anesthesia

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Garijo, J.M., Mashari, A. & Meineri, M. Role of Transesophageal Echocardiography in General Anesthesia. Curr Anesthesiol Rep 7, 273–282 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40140-017-0221-x

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