[Value of echocardiography in heart surgery]

Between October 15th 1981 and January 31st 1982, 297 echocardiogrammes were performed in the department of cardiac surgery at Broussais Hospital, 31 of which were requested and carried out as emergency procedures by day or night, 187 pre- or postoperatively and 79 in the out-patient clinic. M mode and 2D echocardiographies were performed at the bedside when necessary, namely in the intensive care unit pre- and postoperatively. The examination was performed by trained personnel, both in the out-patient clinic and in the intensive care unit. In the 31 cases in which the examination was requested as an emergency, the information obtained practically always contributed to establishing the right diagnosis and to correct therapeutic intervention. In 24 cases, the emergency occurred in the post-operative period: 18 cases of cardiac failure, of which echocardiography contributed to the indication of reoperation in 4 cases, the contra-indication of reoperation in 11 cases, and the need for emergency catheter studies in 2 cases. In one case the examination was unnecessary. In 6 other cases, suspected intracardiac thrombosis was excluded. There were 7 requests for emergency echocardiography in the preoperative period and the information obtained contributed to the indication for emergency surgery in 3 cases, and guided the operative strategy. The need for urgent surgery was refuted in 3 cases. The examination was unnecessary in 1 case. The results of echocardiography were very reliable. It does not seem to have provided any misleading information; the examination was incomplete in only 10% of cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)