Transgastric Doppler echocardiographic assessment of the severity of aortic stenosis using multiplane transesophageal echocardiography.

We investigated whether multiplane transesophageal Doppler echocardiography using transgastral views allows determination of pressure gadients and valve areas in patients with aortic stenosis. This technique was feasible in 35 of 39 patients (90%), with highly significant correlations with results obtained from transthoracic Doppler echocardiography and cardiac catheterization, thus offering an alternative approach for quantification of aortic stenosis.