Marquette General Heart Institute Transesophageal
Echocardiography (TEE) There are several ways to create an image
of the heart and how it functions. The TEE is one of these ways.
It will show the heart structure and the blood flow through the
heart. This procedure can detect heart problems such as blood
clots, aneurysms, valve dysfunction, septal wall defects,
backflow of the blood through the valves, infections of the
heart valve and cardiac masses. What exactly is a TEE?
Transesophageal echocardiography is a painless ultrasound
imaging exam. The instrument used is inserted through the mouth
and passed into the esophagus. Because the heart and esophagus
are close together, and there are no bony structures between,
TEE can provide a clear image of the heart. The TEE probe is a
long flexible instrument with an ultrasound sensor located at
the tip. The probe is passed through the mouth, down the back of
the throat, and into the esophagus and stomach. This allows the
doctor to examine the heart and valves throu