Transesophageal Echocardiography
A specialised echocardiogram performed with the probe positioned in the patient's esophagus. Provides superior image quality for posterior cardiac structures.
TEE positions the ultrasound transducer in the esophagus, immediately behind the left atrium, eliminating the chest-wall and lung interference that limits standard TTE. The result is markedly higher image quality for the mitral valve, left atrial appendage, aorta, and prosthetic valves.
TEE is the imaging modality of choice for intraoperative cardiac surgery monitoring, mitral valve assessment for repair candidacy, exclusion of left-atrial-appendage thrombus before cardioversion or ablation, and the work-up of suspected endocarditis or aortic dissection.
TEE is performed under sedation by accredited cardiologists or anaesthesiologists and is billed under a distinct code in every fee schedule (e.g. CPT 93312-93318 in the US, CCAM DZQJ001 in France, MBS 55135 in Australia).