CONCLUSION

TEE is the most powerful cardiovascular diagnostic technique available in the practice of perioperative medicine today. Thousands of published reports document its vital role in the determination of hemodynamics, detection of myocardial ischemia, evaluation of cardiovascular pathology, and assessment of cardiac surgical plans and results. TEE has become a vital part of cardiac anesthesia and surgery because it can provide information necessary for optimizing management and reducing morbidity and mortality. In addition, TEE is vital in the assessment of patients with severe, persistent hypotension because it often reveals the true cause of the hypotension not apparent from other diagnostic techniques available at the bedside. TEE interpretation is inherently subjective, so considerable training and ongoing quality assurance are essential.