title: Intraoperative echocardiography in minimally invasive cardiac surgery and novel cardiovascular surgical techniques.
abstract: Minimally invasive cardiovascular surgery has been developed in an effort to decrease hospital length of stay and cost by decreasing pulmonary and neurologic complications, pain, chest trauma, and infection. The smaller incisions provide less direct cardiac visualization and exposure, which makes transesophageal echocardiography an essential and integral part of these innovative procedures. Transesophageal echocardiography does not obstruct the surgical field and can perform a full evaluation of the heart. This includes assessment of the aorta and great vessels, valve function, ventricular wall motion, placement of catheters and cannulae, hemodynamic monitoring, and immediate evaluation of surgical results and complications.
authors.affiliation: Noninvasive Cardiology Lab, New York University Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA. itzhak.kronzon@med.nyu.edu
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kronzon
authors.forename: Todd G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Matros
mesh_terms: D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*