Transesophageal echocardiography in the intensive care unit

Transesophageal echocardiography is today a routine method for hemodynamic monitoring of patients. It has a favourable effect on mortality and morbidity, and on decision making during surgery and in the immediate postsurgical period. Insertion of the probe into esophagus allows imaging in all directions and bypassing of lung parenchyma, bones and fat tissue, which provides better image compared to transthoracic echocardiography. The method is particularly important in differential diagnosis and assessment of mitral valve function, condition of the aorta, and treatment of life threatening hypotension. In 2004 Calahan suggested eight of twenty standard imaging sections which allow diagnosis in two to three minutes of causes of hypotension which are hard or impossible to diagnose using other methods.