Pharyngeal Dysphagia After Transesophageal Echocardiography

Lee Bolton, Christopher Skeoch, Sunil K. Bhudia and Anna-Liisa Sutt J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth DOI:10.1053/j.jvca.2023.05.017

Introduction: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has become a standard diagnostic and monitoring technique performed during and after cardiothoracic surgery to guide decision-making by providing a real-time evaluation of cardiac structure and function. It is considered an essential part of intraoperative care for patients undergoing mitral valve surgery. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) probe insertion involves transpharyngeal placement, intubation of the upper esophageal sphincter, and subsequent manipulation of the probe within the aerodigestive tract to obtain the necessary image quality.