Application of transesophageal echocardiography in minimally invasive surgical closure of ventricular septal defects.

We sought both to evaluate the clinical value of transesophageal echocardiography in minimally invasive surgical closure of ventricular septal defects and to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of the surgical occlusion procedure. We selected 49 pediatric patients who had perimembranous ventricular septal defects as determined by preoperative transthoracic echocardiographic examination. After the patients were under general anesthesia, we used transesophageal echocardiography to determine the number of defects and their positions, shapes, and sizes, these last in order to choose the appropriate occluder. Under transesophageal echocardiographic monitoring and guidance, we introduced and deployed the occluder. The evaluation of therapy was performed by means of transesophageal echocardiography immediately after occluder release. All patients underwent follow-up transthoracic echocardiography within 2 to 5 postoperative days. Satisfactory occluder deployment was achieved in 38 patients. No death occurred. No occluder displacement or valve dysfunction was observed during the last transesophageal echocardiographic study. In addition, follow-up by transthoracic echocardiography showed improvement of left ventricular dimensions and ejection fractions. Our initial experience has been encouraging. Transesophageal echocardiography plays a crucial role in performing minimally invasive surgical closure of cardiac defects. It enables the feasible, safe, and effective closure of ventricular septal defects. However, larger sample sizes and longer-term follow-up are necessary for the accurate evaluation of this procedure's safety and effectiveness as an alternative to cardiopulmonary bypass surgery and transcatheter closure of congenital cardiac defects.