[Intraoperative diagnosis of the heart and great vessels--echocardiography]

Two-dimensional echocardiography including color Doppler techniques can be used for analysis of the morphology and function and of the blood flow of the heart and the great vessels. Epicardial echocardiography has the advantage of high resolution and multiple scan planes. The restriction to the intraoperative period is a clear disadvantage. In addition, the scan planes are difficult to standardize. Transesophageal echocardiography can be used for monitoring during the whole operative period but is restricted to horizontal and/or longitudinal scan planes. It is a non-contact procedure and thus, sterile conditions are not affected. For evaluation of surgical success, intraoperative echocardiography can be used for analysis in patients with congenital heart disease, mitral valve regurgitation, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, and aortic dissection. Acute intraoperative revisions with a second extracorporal circulation period will avoid reoperation. In patients with coronary artery disease the flow within the bypass and also the status of the anastomosis can be scanned and may contribute to reduce the perioperative infarct rate. Intraoperative echocardiography needs additional costs and man power. Only after randomized comparative prospective studies have demonstrated that patients controlled by intraoperative echocardiography have a better outcome and prognosis than patients without intraoperative control this method will become routine in open-heart surgery.