[The McGRATH MAC Video Laryngoscope Facilitates Probe Insertion during Transesophageal Echocardiography]

A transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe is often inserted blindly. However, it is desirable to insert it under visual guidance because the blind technique sometimes causes difficulty and may contribute to serious, but rare, complications. This prospective study compared the usefulness of TEE insertion between a brand-new McGRATH MAC video laryngoscope (McGRATH) and a Macintosh laryngoscope (Macintosh).

We randomly assigned 80 adult patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery into two groups according to the laryngoscope used for TEE probe insertion: the McGRATH (McG Group; n = 40) and Macintosh (MC Group; n = 40) groups. End points included patient demographics, procedure duration, and resistance during insertion (grades 1-5).

No differences were found in patient demographics between the groups. There was no significant difference in procedure duration between the groups (P = 0.116). Resistance during insertion was significantly lower in the McG Group than in the MC Group (P < 0.001). There were no failures of insertion in the McG Group.

There were no failures of insertion in the McG Group. Resistance during insertion was lower with the McGRATH than Macintosh. The McGRATH was shown to be very useful when inserting TEE probes.