What is the purpose of transesophageal echocardiography?
Since the esophagus is right next to the heart, transesophageal echocardiography provides a very clear picture of the heart. It can provide information on the size of the heart, its pumping strength, and the location and extent of any damage to its tissues. It can detect abnormal tissue growth around the heart valves. It is also good at detecting abnormalities in the pattern of blood flow, such as the backward flow of blood through partly closed heart valves, known as regurgitation or insufficiency. It is especially useful in cases in which conventional echocardiography (a test where the transducer is kept on the patient’s chest) cannot offer a good image, such as when the patient is obese or has a thick chest wall. It is useful for monitoring heart function during cardiac surgery and detecting blood clots in the left atrium of the heart. Source: The Gale Group. Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3rd ed.
