title: Complications of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in adult cardiac surgical patients - experience of two institutions in Taiwan.
abstract: There is some safety concern about transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) when it is used routinely during cardiac operations. The purpose of this investigation was to study the incidence of intraoperative TEE-associated complications in adult cardiac surgical patients. The study population comprised 6255 consecutive adult cardiac surgical patients with intraoperative TEE examinations. TEE-associated complications occurred in 25 patients (0.4%). Most of these complications consisted of oropharyngeal mucosal bleeding (15/25, 60%). Esophageal perforation occurred in one patient. Two patients experienced upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Seven patients experienced dental injuries, and TEE probe insertion failed in 10 patients. We conclude that intraoperative TEE-associated complications in cardiac operations is very low; the complication rate we found was comparable to previously reported values.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Hsiang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Cheng-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Tzu-Yu
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ya-Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ming-Jiuh
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology