Transesophageal echocardiography for cardiac surgery in children.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for cardiac surgery in children.


METHODS
Prospective clinical study.


METHODS
Nagoya City University Hospital.


METHODS
Children who had cardiac surgery from January 1998 to December 2000 (n = 90).


METHODS
TEE was used to the extent permitted by the probe size and the position of the patient during surgery.


RESULTS
TEE monitoring was performed safely without any complications in 88 of the patients. Based on the TEE findings, the anesthesiologists conferred with the surgeon about the efficacy of the surgical procedures in 11 patients (11 of 88 [12.5%]). The cardiac surgeons altered the surgical repair in 2 patients based on the TEE findings (2 of 88 [2.4%]).


CONCLUSIONS
TEE is a valuable diagnostic tool for monitoring during cardiac surgery in children. The person who performs the TEE should use it carefully after obtaining thorough knowledge of the pathophysiology of pediatric cardiac diseases, their surgical indications, and how specific surgical procedures are done.
Yumoto
Miho
M
Department of Anesthesiology, Nagoya City University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. myumoto@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
Katsuya
Hirotada
H
D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies