• SungWon Na, Chang Seok Kim, Ji Young Kim, Jin Seon Cho, and Ki Jun Kim.
• Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Anesthesia and Pain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
• Anesthesiology. 2009 Jan 1;110(1):38-40.

BackgroundIntraoperative transesophageal echocardiography has become a routine part of monitoring in patients with cardiac disease. However, insertion of a transesophageal echocardiography probe can be associated with oropharyngeal, esophageal, and gastric injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine whether insertion of a transesophageal echocardiography probe under direct laryngoscopic visualization can reduce the incidence of oropharyngeal mucosal injury.MethodsEighty patients undergoing surgery with general anesthesia were randomly allocated to either the conventional group, in which the probe was inserted blindly, or the laryngoscope group, in which a rigid laryngoscope was used to visualize the passage of the probe. The incidence of oropharyngeal mucosal injury, the number of insertion attempts, and odynophagia were assessed.ResultsThere was no significant difference in demographic and hemodynamic parameters between the 2 groups. The incidence of oropharyngeal mucosal injury was higher in the conventional group than in the laryngoscope group (55% vs. 5%, P < 0.05). The incidence of odynophagia was higher in the conventional group than in the laryngoscope group (32.5% vs. 2.5%, P < 0.05). The number of insertion attempts was also higher in the conventional group than in the laryngoscope group.ConclusionRigid laryngoscope-assisted insertion of the transesophageal echocardiography probe reduces the incidence of oropharyngeal mucosal injury, odynophagia, and the number of insertion attempts.

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