Accreditation Status in Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography: A Survey From the Association for...

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an essential monitoring and diagnostic tool for cardiothoracic anesthesiologists and intensivists. Accreditation is the most common path to demonstrate competence. There is a paucity of certification data in the UK. This study aimed to examine the landscape, including motivations for and barriers against obtaining or maintaining accreditation.

A 15-question survey from October to November 2025.

All cardiothoracic anesthesiologists in the UK: email to members of the Association for Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and Critical Care (ACTACC); departmental linkperson contact.

None.

Response rate was 33 % (153/461). Eighty-one (53%) respondents held valid certification, including 51% (n = 59) of consultants, and 106 (69%) had held this at any time, inferring lapse for 25 (16%). Almost all (151/153, 99%) reported that TEE equipment was available for every cardiac operating room in their hospital. Maintaining accreditation was thought valuable by 122 (80%) respondents. The European accreditation pathway was most popular (n = 67, 44%). Motivations included practicing to recognized standards (n = 88, 58%), evidence of competence (n = 86, 56%), maintaining quality (n = 84, 55%), keeping up to date (n = 61, 40%), medicolegal security (n = 60, 39%), and workplace requirements (n = 23, 15%).

Current systems do not appear to meet the necessary requirements of the UK cardiac anesthetic workforce, with a significant lack of implementation of valid TEE certifications. Future developments need to include guidelines and a tailored national curriculum in perioperative TEE with the support of national stakeholders.