Objective: To explore the role of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in robotic perimembranous ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted with intraoperative TEE data of 18 consecutive patients who underwent robotic perimembranous VSD repair from January 2009 to August 2012. (1) Before cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), TEE was performed to document the anatomic types, numbers, and the size of VSD. The procedures were predetermined by the surgeon according to TEE information. (2) During the establishment of peripheral CPB, TEE was used to guide the placement of cannulae in inferior vena cava (IVC), superior vena cava (SVC), and ascending aorta (AAO). (3) After weaning from CPB, TEE was conducted to evaluate the effect of the procedure.
Results: (1) Accuracy of TEE was 100% for diagnosing the anatomic types of VSD. All the surgical procedures were performed based on the predetermined information. (2) Under TEE guidance, all the cannulae in the SVC, IVC and AAO were located in correct positions. (3) In all patients, TEE confirmed successful VSD repair.
Conclusion: TEE is a useful tool in the assessment of robotic perimembranous VSD repair.