Usefulness of perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography during paediatric cardiac surgery

Paediatric transoesophageal echocardiography probes allow perioperative evaluation during paediatric congenital heart disease surgery.

To assess the usefulness of perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography in evaluating the severity of residual lesions, based on the type of congenital heart disease repaired in paediatric patients.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on paediatric patients who underwent open-heart surgery at our tertiary centre over a four-year period. Perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography studies were performed, and residual lesions were classified as mild, moderate or severe.

Overall, 323 procedures involving 310 patients with a median age of 13.8 (0.07-214.4) months and a median weight of 8.2 (2-96) kg at intervention were enrolled in the study. Twenty-one (6.5%) residual lesions led to immediate reintervention: severe right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (n=12); severe aortic regurgitation (n=3); superior vena cava stenosis (n=2); moderate residual ventricular septal defect (n=2); severe mitral regurgitation (n=1); and severe mitral stenosis (n=1). Three (0.9%) neonates had ventilation difficulties caused by the transoesophageal echocardiography probe having to be removed, but experienced no sequelae.

Perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography is a safe procedure, providing information on severe residual lesions, leading to the immediate revision of several paediatric congenital heart disease cases.