Annals of cardiac anaesthesia
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Transoesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) is now an integral part of practice of cardiac anaesthesiology. Advances in instrumentation and the information that can be obtained from the TEE examination has proceeded at a breath-taking pace since the introduction of this technology in the early 1980s. Recognizing the importance of TEE in the management of surgical patients, the American Societies of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Society of Cardiac Anesthesiologists, USA (SCA) published practice guidelines for the clinical application of perioperative TEE in 1996. ⋯ Based on the input received, it was determined that the most important parts of the TEE examination could be displayed in a set of 20 cross sectional imaging planes. These 20 cross sections would provide also the format for digital acquisition and storage of a comprehensive TEE examination. Because variability exists in the precise anatomic orientation between the heart and the esophagus in individual patients, an attempt was made to provide specific criteria based on identifiable anatomic landmarks to improve the reproducibility and consistency of image acquisition for each of the standard cross sections.
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Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) are increasingly used for mechanical circulatory support of patients with severe heart failure, primarily as a bridge to heart transplantation. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) plays a major role in the clinical decision making during insertion of the devices and in the post-operative management of these patients. The detection of structural and device-related mechanical abnormalities is critical for optimal functioning of assist device. In this review article, we describe the usefulness of TEE for optimal perioperative management of patients presenting for HeartWare LVAD insertion.