[Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in patients with surgical valve repair]

For a period of 13 months (from April 1993 till May 1994) 14 patients (5 men and 9 women) have been examined intraoperatively with transesophageal echocardiography. Nine of the patients were with mitral valve lesion, three of them with mitral valve lesion, complicated with tricuspidalisation, one patient with mitral-aortic valve lesion and high grade tricuspid regurgitation and one patient with aortic valve disease. The purpose of the intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was to surgical valve repair by measuring the residual stenosis and regurgitation. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography evaluation was made by biplane two-dimensional echocardiography, colour Doppler mapping and pulse wave Doppler after CPB before sternum closure. In 13 of the examined patients the effect of the surgical valve repair was assessed by transesophageal echocardiography as very good. In one of the cases intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography indicated aortic and mitral valve replacement because of high grade aortic and mitral replacement, persisting after surgical valve repair of both valves. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiographic findings were compared with postoperative transesophageal echocardiography before dehospitalisation of the patients. The results of both echocardiographic examinations, correlate to a great extent. The existing difference in assessment of the degree of valvular lesions is due to the specific intraoperative haemodynamic situation. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography is a valuable method in assessment of surgical valve repair.