title: Transesophageal echocardiography: not an innocuous procedure.
abstract: We report 3 patients who sustained intrathoracic esophageal perforations due to transesophageal echocardiography encountered during the past 2 years. Lack of suspicion of this complication led to delay in diagnosis. Surgical management led to survival of all 3 patients.
authors.affiliation: Joseph B. Whitehead Department of Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Brinkman
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shanewise
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mansour
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans