Description

Transophageal echocardiography

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the echocardiographic examination of the esophagus
instead of the chest wall. The esophagus is very close to the base (back)
of the heart. In addition, the wall thickness of the esophagus is much
less than the chest wall. For these reasons, better quality images are
obtained during TOE, and formations further behind can be examined. TOE
should be performed especially in the following patients: 1. Patients with a
thick chest wall but requiring echocardiography 2. Patients with suspected
baseline heart defects 3. Patients with prosthetic valve replacement 4.
Patients with suspected infective endocarditis

1.APPLICATION:

TOE is very similar to endoscopy. The
patient is asked to swallow a tube of approximately 30-50 cm. This
seemingly unpleasant procedure for patients is greatly facilitated by the
pre-administration of sedatives and the numbing of the patient’s throat. Initially,
the patient may have a feeling of nausea and retching, but these complaints
disappear after a while. The patient’s assistance to the doctor in
performing the examination ensures both a shorter duration of the procedure and
a higher quality. This procedure, which is done through the esophagus,
takes about 5 minutes. takes. The resulting images are recorded on
video-cassette by means of a video recorder. Afterwards, a report is
prepared by watching these tapes again and making various measurements if
necessary. Remember, however unpleasant it may be, your doctor would not
have asked you for this examination if he had not had to do this.

2. RISKS:

TOE is a very low risk test. Your doctor
will ask you if there is an abnormality in your throat before the procedure. If
you have a sore throat, difficulty in swallowing, and if you are frequently
bothered by your tonsils, you should definitely mention it. Apart from
this, do not hesitate to mention all the complaints that you feel may be
important. It is also very important for your doctor that you are allergic
to anesthetic substances. If this is the case, please let me know. After
asking these questions, your doctor will do a brief mouth and throat
examination. Even in the slightest suspected case, the transaction will be
delayed. For this reason, if it is decided to do the transaction, do not
forget that you are safe in terms of risks. Despite all this, the
following risks exist, albeit very little:

1. Nausea, retching;

2. Temporary difficulty swallowing;

3. Damage to the esophagus (TEE has been
performed in our clinic for 10 years and there has never been any damage to the
esophagus);

4. Various rhythm disorders (Since both
echocardiographic and electrocardiographic follow-up are performed during the
procedure, the probability of this risk occurring, even if it does, will result
in a bad outcome. There has been no serious arrhythmia in our clinic until now);

5. Passage of infectious agents into the blood
(This potentially existing risk is not more risky than brushing teeth. Besides,
the procedure is performed with sterile materials.)

3. AFTER THE PROCESS: Since your

throat is anesthetized during the procedure,
there may be a temporary loss in your swallowing reflex. This loss takes
about 2 hours. Therefore, do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours after
the procedure.

Your report will be given shortly. however,
in very complex cases, the tape may need to be watched over and over again. In
such cases, you will be notified of the date and time you will receive your
report. Otherwise, your report will give you 30 minutes. will be
delivered in Do not forget to show your report to the doctor who requested
the examination or who performed your follow-up