AORTIC COMPRESSION BY TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC PROBE IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN UNDERGOING CARDIAC-SURGERY

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is being increasingly used to monitor cardiovascular function during surgery in both adults and children. There have been few adverse effects reported from the use of TEE in adults or children. We have encountered four cases of descending aortic compression due to a TEE probe, which, if not detected, could have caused significant complications. Although three cases involved infants less than 2 yr of age, the most recent case involved a 9-yr-old boy. In this report, we present the first two of these cases.