Tee

[Ashley]

Just wondering what a TEE can show a Doctor or Surgeon that a regular echo cannot. I have had many caths but never a TEE and have recently been scheduled for one. Just wondering what additional information they are looking to obtain from this additional test.
Thank you.

 

[debster913]

Hey there,

First of all, good luck on your upcoming TEE. The TEE is a procedure in which the doctor will look at your valves through your esophagus. It's not as bad as it sounds (believe me, the first TEE I had, I was all freaked out before: "I have to swallow WHAT?"), but it is an echo that is essentially much close to your heart, and your doctor can see your valves much better than he/she can through a traditional echo or even an angio.

In my case, when my mitral valve began to fail four years ago, my cardio did an echo first, then an angio, and then a TEE. He wasn't quite convinced my valve was bad enough for surgery, but the TEE result was the one that sent me to a surgeon.

Hope this helps.

Best,

 

[Cris N]

Let me add that you are anesthetized for it. It's really not all that bad.

 

[Jkm7]

Like everyone else, I was a bit nervous about my TEE but it was really easy. I felt no pain during or after. I was amazed at what a 'non-event' it was for me but it gave the surgeon a lot of information. The camera is placed behind your heart and they can get a much better view than from echo.

 

[ifp]

Ashley, during a transthoracic echocardiogram the tech has to try to get a good look at your heart through your lungs using the spaces between your ribs. The sound beam will not travel through the air in your lungs so sometimes the images are less than optimal. When the transesophageal echo probe is inserted into your stomach the ribs and lungs are not in the way. Most often this gives an excellent view of the aortic valve, aorta, mitral valve and left ventricle. Sometimes there can still be difficulties from artifacts arising from air in the stomach, though.

You will be sedated and not care a bit about what is happening. You will probably ask questions and have them answered only to ask the same question again in a few minutes.

If I had to say there was a 'bad' part to my TEE it would be the nasty tasting stuff used to numb my throat. My throat was slightly sore for about a day when swallowing.

Good luck,
Iris

 

[Ashley]

Thanks everyone. I meant to say that I've had many echos, not caths (thank goodness). I appreciate the help!

 

[wcasey5]

They gave me something that made me forget the whole procedure. I got my throat numbed, and the next thing I remember is the cardio saying you're all done.

 

[dcpickle]

The ver-sed (sp?) medicine they give you does make you forget. You may forget anything anyone says to you for the next hour or so! I had an esophageal dilation, (which is basically the same procedure as a TEE, only the thing they stick down your throat is different) Afterwards the Doctor came and talked to me and I could hardly remember anything he said!
BTW what they can get from a TEE is an ACCURATE measurement of your valvular area and evaluation of your valve operation. Some of the numbers you get from a regular echo, like valve opening size, and pressure gradient are inferred (calculated) from blood velocity, and are sometimes wrong (it was in my case, and TEE and heart cath showed different, and my surgery was postponed several years as a result)

 

[DavesMom]

Hi Ashley,

Good luck with the TEE. I've only had one and it's wasn't bad at all. As others have said, you are sedated and shouldn't remember much. It does give more accurate measurements and that's always a good thing.

Best wishes!

Cheers,
Michelle

 

[liza]

Not to freak you out, but I had a bad experience with my TEE. I was 24 at the time, and they gave me Versed (which is the usual "twilight" drug I'm told). Well, I remembered a lot of it. I ended up trying to pull the probe out because I kept feeling like I was going to vomit. Apparently I ended up fighting so much that they gave up. I remember them trying, then all of a sudden I was like "what happened? why are you scanning my chest?" They told me that Versed doesn't always work well for youngish patients. I guess they gave me 3 more doses and it didn't help. So I blacked out a bunch but still remember bits and pieces.

The other thing is, I have a big vomit-phobia. That might've been why I was fighting it so much. Good luck to you! I hope it goes better!