Splenic injury after intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography

S A Olenchock1, J J Lukaszczyk, J Reed

  • 1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, St. Luke's Hospital and Health Network, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, USA.

A 55-year-old woman underwent coronary artery bypass grafting and mitral valve repair using intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Postoperatively she had hemodynamic instability associated with an increase in abdominal size and a drop in hemoglobin. At laparotomy, a splenic hilar laceration was discovered, which was presumed to be associated with intraoperative TEE. She underwent emergent splenectomy. This case demonstrates that although rare, serious complications can occur with TEE.