Latest in TEE Technology
TEE’s ability to visualize the blood flow in real-time is also a result of technological advancement, which has made TEE indispensable for various procedures
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is an invasive imaging test that uses sound waves to produce high-resolution images of the heart and its connecting arteries and veins to assess its structure and functioning. TEE is a more effective alternative to the traditionally used transthoracic echo (TTE), which fails to offer a clear visualization of cardiac structures and flow disorders.
The TEE process
An imaging technologist guides a thin and flexible tube (endoscope) into the mouth and down the esophagus with an ultrasound device attached to it to perform a TEE. The esophagus is close to the heart’s upper chamber, providing an excellent spot to get accurate and more detailed images of the heart structure and valves.
The importance of TEE
A doctor may use high-quality images received through TEE to diagnose, evaluate, and manage conditions like cardiac tumors, atherosclerosis, aortic aneurysm, blood clots in the heart, heart valve diseases, pericardial disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, congenital heart disease, and infections. Other reasons to do TEE are to evaluate the heart during open heart surgery, non-cardiac surgery, or before cardioversion for atrial fibrillation to rule out clots.
Latest advancements in TEE
The introduction of 3-D and 4-D TEE has made TEE more popular as an imaging modality during complex heart procedures like transcatheter aortic valve repair, left atrial appendage occlusions, and septal defect closures, transcatheter mitral valve replacements, and MitraCLip. TEE helps in device placement, checking for complications during the procedure, and post-procedure to eliminate paravalvular leaks.
3-D technology
Earlier, TEE ultrasound was used to produce 2-D images. However, due to technological advancements, TEE has entered the 3-D realm and become widely popular for its ability to provide a surgeon’s view, facilitating a more straightforward interpretation for cardiologists. Real-time 3-D images provide cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and echocardiographers better cardiac structure and function visibility than the standard 2-D images. Along with live 3-D technology, portability has made it possible to use TEE in emergency settings like in CCU and at the bedside for evaluation. Now, it does not require patients to visit an imaging center for TEE. Instead, a doctor or radiologist can perform a TEE in their clinic or healthcare center.
TEE’s ability to visualize the blood flow in real-time is also a result of technological advancement, which has made TEE indispensable for various procedures. Doctors can now see the heart structure and blood flow in real-time instead of the descriptive technique prevalent earlier. The real-time anatomy and blood flow analysis are advanced functions of newer TEE systems experts advocate using. Some recent advances in TEE have led to its new and exciting clinical applications. The last few years have seen a rapid adoption of TEE due to significant technological advances.
Expert medical care
Imaging centers, hospitals, and healthcare facilities must stay up-to-date with the rapidly developing and advancing TEE technology and refresh their equipment every few years to get maximum benefits. As the technology improves, TEE will have a more significant role in hospitals and cath labs.
