Initial experience with a miniaturized multiplane transesophageal probe in small infants undergoing cardiac operations.
OBJECTIVE
There has been reluctance to use intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in small infants. We assessed the utility and safety of a new miniaturized multiplane micro-TEE probe in small infants undergoing cardiac operations.


METHODS
Hemodynamic and ventilation variables were prospectively recorded before and after micro-TEE insertion and removal in infants weighing 5 kg or less undergoing cardiac operations.


RESULTS
The study included 42 patients with a mean weight of 3.6 +/- 0.9 kg (range, 1.7 to 5 kg). All probe insertions were successful. There were no complications or clinically significant changes in hemodynamic or ventilation variables. Information provided by TEE resulted in surgical revision in 6 of the 42 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The micro-TEE provides high quality, useful diagnostic images without hemodynamic or ventilation compromise in small infants undergoing cardiac operations. This advance is important with the growing trend towards complete repair of complex structural heart disease in small infants.
Zyblewski
Sinai C
SC
Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
Shirali
Girish S
GS
Forbus
Geoffrey A
GA
Hsia
Tain-Yen
TY
Bradley
Scott M
SM
Atz
Andrew M
AM
Cohen
Meryl S
MS
Graham
Eric M
EM
D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008904:Miniaturization; D011446:Prospective Studies