[Transesophageal echocardiography in pre- and postoperative diagnosis of heart diseases]

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) represents a substantial methodological extension of the transthoracic approach (TTE). Limitations of TTE can be overcome, furthermore cardiac regions - for instance atrial appendages - can be scanned, which are only difficult to valuate by TTE. The introduction of the endoscope succeed in above 95% of the patients without problems. The transducers work with 30, 48 or 60 single elements and frequencies of 3.5 to 7.5 MHz. The clinical indications for this procedure have included severe cardiac pathology, insufficient TTE, thoracic aortic dissection, prosthetic cardiac valve dysfunction, detection of intracardiac and paracardiac masses, structure lesions and complications of endocarditis, intraoperative monitoring and assessment of critical ill patients in an intensive-care unit. Attending to the prerequisitis and contraindications TEE growth up to an important method for cardiac surgery with regard to prae-, intra- and postoperative diagnostic and evaluation of treatment effectiveness.