title: The safety of transesophageal echocardiography in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety of transesophageal echocardiography for the evaluation and intraoperative monitoring of patients during orthotopic liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care, university teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (n = 116) who underwent intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography during liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography during liver transplantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors evaluated the safety of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in patients undergoing liver transplantation through a retrospective chart review. Complications associated with transesophageal echocardiography use were divided into minor and major complications. Out of 116 patients who underwent intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography, there was one minor and one major complication. The major complication rate was 0.86% (1/116) and the overall complication rate was 1.7% (2/116). There was no statistically significant correlation between pre-transplant sclerotherapy for treatment of varices and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography-related gastrointestinal bleeding. Although the reported complication rate is higher than what has been quoted in the cardiac literature, intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography during liver transplantation has a low complication rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography is a relatively safe method of monitoring cardiac performance in liver transplant patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology.
authors.forename: Nicholas W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Markin
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology.
authors.forename: Archit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology. Electronic address: sshillcu@unmc.edu.
authors.forename: Sasha K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shillcutt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: efficacy; gastrointestinal bleeding; liver transplantation; safety; transesophageal echocardiography; utility