Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) uses a tiny ultrasound device, passed through a tube into the patient's esophagus, to produce a clear image of the heart using sound waves. TEE can show the size of the heart, its pumping strength, and the location and extent of any damage to the heart tissues. TEE is also used to find abnormalities in blood flow patterns, such as backwards flow of blood through partly closed heart valves. TEE offers a better image than normal echocardiography because the esophagus is so close to the heart muscle, and is especially useful on patients with a thick chest wall.

The patient is given a mild sedative, and then a special tube called an endoscope, containing a tiny microphone called a transducer, is passed through the mouth and into the esophagus. It is carefully moved until it is positioned next to the heart. The transducer sends ultrasound waves into the heart, some of which are echoed back to the transducer. Different tissues and blood all reflect ultrasound waves differently, so the echoing waves can be translated into a meaningful image of the heart.