Alteration of surgical management following intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in a patient with mobile left atrial thrombi embolized during anesthesia.

This report describes alteration of surgical management in a patient with a large free-floating ball thrombus in the left atrium, which was embolized before sternotomy as demonstrated by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. Due to new findings observed by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography, unnecessary sternotomy could be avoided.