A Narrative Review of the 2020 Guidelines for Use of Transesophageal Echocardiography to Assist with Surgical Decision- Making by the Cardiac Anesthesiologist in the Operating Room

Abstract

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has become an integral part in helping to diagnose, manage, and assess interventions in the cardiac operating room. Multiple guidelines have been created by the American Society of Echocardiography for performing a TEE examination for different cardiac pathologies. The operating room can provide unique challenges when performing a TEE examination, which include hemodynamic instability, time constraints, and use of general anesthesia. The Guideline for the use of TEE to assist in surgical decision- making in the operating room recently was published to provide a starting protocol for conducting a TEE examination for different cardiac surgeries and for using the information obtained to interpret and to communicate findings to the surgical team. This present narrative review focuses and expands upon the relevant portions for the cardiac anesthesiologist.

Keywords: heart transplantation; intracardiac masses; lung transplantation; mechanical assist devices; operating room; pericardial disease; transesophageal echocardiogram; valvular pathologies.