Pulmonary Artery Catheter Placement Using Transesophageal Echocardiography

To assess the feasibility of pulmonary artery catheter placement using transesophageal echocardiography inclusive of a description of the technique.

A prospective, proof-of-concept study.

Single university hospital.

Twenty patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension scheduled for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy.

Pulmonary artery catheters were placed in 20 patients solely by transesophageal echocardiographic guidance.

Placement of the pulmonary artery catheter in the pulmonary artery with transesophageal echocardiography guidance in fewer than 10 minutes was considered successful placement. The time to placement was measured from advancement of the pulmonary artery catheter in the superior vena cava (20 cm) to a final location at the junction of the right pulmonary artery and main pulmonary artery. All 20 pulmonary artery catheters were placed successfully using transesophageal echocardiography guidance and the median time to placement was 43 seconds. In 9 of the 20 patients (45%), the catheter was placed successfully on the first attempt without any adjustments. However, in 9 others (45%), the catheter required manipulation under transesophageal echocardiography vision. In 3 patients (15%), the pulmonary artery catheter was observed to be coiled in the right atrium and in 1 instance (5%) manipulation of the catheter in the right ventricle was required to enter the outflow tract.

Transesophageal echocardiography is a viable adjunctive method to conventional pressure waveform placement of pulmonary artery catheters in potentially difficult patients.