ETMC Cardiovascular Institute adds new Live 3D Echo

The ETMC Cardiovascular Institute has a new tool to aid cardiologists in diagnosis and planning. ETMC has acquired East Texas' first Live 3D TEE (transesophageal echocardiogram) probe.

Phillips' Live 3D TEE imaging provides more perspectives of the heart, including the surgeon's view--a perspective of the mitral valve from the left atrium as well as from the left ventricle. The 3D heart is displayed in motion, in real time and reduces the need to reconstruct pathology from multiple 2D views.

Determining valve repair needs
Kathy Woods, echo lead technician says the 3D TEE probe will help surgeons determine more easily valve repair needs, rule out blood clots, if there are holes in the heart and much more. "Before, we used a 2D technology that required piecing all of the images together, but now we can rotate the image instantly and see all sides which allows on-the-spot evaluation."

The patient is under anesthesia for about 20 minutes while the probe is inserted down their esophagus. The snake-like tube can move around while providing different views of the heart. Communication is facilitated, as these images contain the information surgeons, anesthesiologists and cardiac staff need so a comprehensive plan can be in place before the first incision.

Live 3D TEE was introduced in 2007.