Guiding surgical cannulation of the inferior vena cava with transesophageal echocardiography.
We studied 150 adult cardiac surgery patients to assess visualization of the venous cannula and the venous system by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and to register the incidence of cannulation of hepatic veins. The quality of images, the dimensions of the venous system, the position of the venous cannula, and the adequacy of venous return were registered. Acceptable image quality of the inferior vena cava and the right hepatic vein (RHV) was obtained in 95% and 87% of cases, respectively. Considerable individual variations were found in the dimensions of the venous system. The cannula position could be determined in 99% of the cases. Ten percent of venous cannulae were primarily placed in the RHV. A short distance between the eustachian valve and the RHV possibly predisposes to cannulation of the RHV. No other patient-related factors were associated with cannula position. Placement of the cannula deep in the inferior vena cava was associated with reduced venous return and may be a more important cause of reduced return than a cannula positioned in a hepatic vein.


CONCLUSIONS
Correct positioning of the venous cannula draining blood to the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit is important. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography allows satisfactory determination of the cannula position in nearly all patients. Ten percent of venous cannulae are primarily positioned in the right hepatic vein and not in the inferior vena cava as intended.
Kirkeby-Garstad
Idar
I
Departments of *Anaesthesia, †Cardiology, and ‡Surgery, St. Elisabeth Heart Centre, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway.
Tromsdal
Arve
A
Sellevold
Olav F M
OFM
Bjørngaard
Mads
M
Bjella
Lise K
LK
Berg
Einar M
EM
Karevold
Asbjørn
A
Haaverstad
Rune
R
Wahba
Alexander
A
Tjomsland
Ole
O
Astudillo
Rafael
R
Krogstad
Arne
A
Stenseth
Roar
R
D000328:Adult; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*