2012 Volume 28 Issue 3 Pages 179-185
Background: There was a limitation of Perioperative transesophageal echocardiography (PTEE) in small infants.
Purpose: We examined the effectiveness of PTEE with a pediatric multiplane probe (PMP).
Methods: Children who underwent PTEE (n=412) were divided according to probe type. PTEE was done with a PMP in Group A patients, with a pediatric biplane probe in Group B, with an adult multiplane probe in Group C, and PTEE was unsuccessful in Group D. Age distribution, basic cardiac disease, additional surgical procedures, postoperative course, and reasons for and effects of unsuccessful probe insertion were investigated.
Results: In Group A, 86% of the subjects were 0-4 years old (<1 year, 33%), 57% in Group B were 5-9 years old, 70% in Group C were 15 years or older, and 83% in Group D were less than 1 year old. An additional surgical procedure was undergone in 16 in Group A and 6 in Group C. Regarding cardiac disease, a simple heart defect was found in 35% in Group A, 94% in Group B, and 48% in Group C. In Group A, right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction was performed in seven patients, atrioventricular valve repair in 6, residual shunt closure in 3, and stenosis release of the superior vena cava in 1. In Group D, extra-cardiac anomalies and low body weight were frequent findings, and 1 required a reoperation on postoperative day 15.
Conclusion: PTEE using a PMP was highly beneficial for cardiac surgery in small children with complex cardiac anomalies, leading to improved prognosis.
