“When would you use a transesophageal echocardiogram?”

To check on the back of the heart for blood clots and to have a better evaluation for heart valves as well as evaluate the aorta.

A transesophageal echocardiogram is an echocardiogram which we need to do from inside the mouth/down the swallowing pipe or esophagus. We do this when we are having trouble seeing something on the transthoracic echocardiogram (the one takes place outside of your body). Examples of times would be if we want to look a heart valve with more definition or magnification (like for valve problems or infections) or have to look in the chambers of the heart, especially in the back of the heart to look for blood clots like if you had a stroke or conditions that put you at risk for a blood clot like an arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. We also do it in conjunction to catheter based procedures like ablations, or transcutaneous valve repair to help guide the catheters in the right place.