Intraoperative echocardiography in cardiac emergencies

Echocardiography has brought about a new modality of surgical decision making in open heart surgery. Especially in urgent and emergency surgery, echocardiography can provide decisive insight into the underlying pathophysiological processes, improved monitoring of cardiac function, as well as immediate quality control after the procedure. The importance of intraoperative echocardiography for the cardiac surgeon is illustrated in a number of selected case reports.