Clinical Research – Usefulness of perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography during paediatric cardiac surgery

Pierrick Pyra, Khaled Hadeed, Aitor Guitarte Vidaurre, Rémi Vincent, Yves Dulac, Gérald Chausseray, David Felice Calvaruso, Philippe Acar, Clément Karsenty

Background: Paediatric transoesophageal echocardiography probes allow perioperative evaluation during paediatric congenital heart disease surgery.

Aim: To assess the usefulness of perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography in evaluating the severity of residual lesions, based on the type of congenital heart disease repaired in paediatric patients.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on paediatric patients who underwent open-heart surgery at our tertiary centre over a four-year period. Perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography studies were performed, and residual lesions were classified as mild, moderate or severe.

Results: Overall, 323 procedures involving 310 patients with a median age of 13.8 (0.07–214.4) months and a median weight of 8.2 (2–96) kg atintervention were enrolled in the study. Twenty-one (6.5%) residual lesions led to immediate reintervention: severe right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (n = 12); severe aortic regurgitation (n = 3); superior vena cava stenosis (n = 2); moderate residual ventricular septal defect (n = 2); severe mitral regurgitation (n = 1); and severe mitral stenosis (n = 1). Three (0.9%) neonates had ventilation difficulties caused by the transoesophageal echocardiography probe having to be removed, but experienced no sequelae.

Conclusion: Perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography is a safe procedure, providing information on severe residual lesions, leading to the immediate revision of several paediatric congenital heart disease cases

• 3D echocardiography
• Transoesophageal echocardiography
• Congenital heart disease
• Paediatric cardiac surgery

• Abbreviations
• Background
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions

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