INTRAOPERATIVE ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY BY A NEW MINIATURIZED EPICARDIAL PROBE - PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Miniaturized probes constitute recent progress in the field of epicard ial echocardiography. We recently used a new miniaturized probe, deriv ed from a standard transesophageal probe, in a series of 12 adult pati ents who underwent cardiac surgery in order to test the possibility of obtaining new views for epicardial imaging. This study demonstrates t he feasibility and safety of performing intraoperative echocardiograph y when using a miniaturized epicardial probe. This probe may be placed on a broader epicardial and vascular area, thus overcoming the size l imitations of the commonly used epicardial probes. The major limitatio n found with the miniaturized probe, however, was the inability to obt ain a true four-chamber view from the ventricular apex, due to the dif ficulty of holding the probe motionless between the apex and the diaph ragm while the heart is beating. Although extensive experience with la rger groups of patients and different pathologies will be required to define the full potential of this new probe, the advent of the miniatu rized probe may further expand the applicability of epicardial echocar diography in pediatric patients during surgery for congenital heart di sease.