Perioperative transesophageal echocardiography.

The first reported use of the transesophageal route to record the thoracic aortic flow using continuous wave Doppler was described by Side and Gosling in 1971. Since then, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has become a valuable tool in monitoring and diagnosis of heart function when indicated during surgery. Currently, anesthesiologists with competence in TEE play an indispensable role in perioperative care. This review will cover several of the important uses of TEE as both a monitor and diagnostic aid in anesthesiology.