Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a newer development in echocardiography providing doctors with better imaging of the heart. In this procedure, a probe is inserted into the esophagus that transmits radio waves. Those waves are bounced off the heart and provide a moving image that can be seen more clearly than a traditional echocardiogram.
These more in depth images are providing further insight into certain conditions, and how doctors treat them. For example, TEE results were found to change or impact the treatment or evaluation of patients with stroke entities in 22 to 32 percent of individuals. This demonstrates that appropriate care can be improved in a large percentage of these patients by using TEE in the diagnostic work-up.
As a result of this research, TEE is increasingly being utilized in the diagnostic evaluation of patients with stroke, transient ischemic attack, or peripheral embolism.
This study is published in the Echocardiography.
Marcus F. Stoddard, MD is a Professor of Medicine of the Division of Cardiology at the University of Louisville and Director of Noninvasive Cardiology at the University of Louisville’ and Director of Echocardiography at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Louisville. He has also published over 80 original investigations and over 100 abstracts in leading cardiology journals.
About Echocardiography: A Journal of Cardiovascular Ultrasound and Allied Techniques
Echocardiography is widely recognized for its comprehensive peer-reviewed articles, case studies, original research, and reviews by international authors, Echocardiography keeps its readership of echocardiographers, ultrasound specialists, and cardiologists well informed of the latest developments in the field.
