Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography: Guidelines for anesthesiologist training

Transesophageal echocardiography has demonstrated to be a very useful techn ique in the operating room. Although cardiologists are responsible for the performance and interpretation of conventional echocardiographic studies, a nesthesiologists should have an active role in the intraoperative studies, because of their indispensable role in the operating room and their respons ibility for the evaluation and treatment of perioperative complications. Th e increasing practice of intraoperative echocardiography in Spain, mainly d ue to the interest of anesthesiologists and cardiac surgeons, and the lack of recommendations for an adequate training in transesophageal echocardiogr aphy oriented to the anesthesiologist, has prompted the creation of a Joint Task Force including members of the Sections of Echocardiography and Cardi othoracic Surgery of the Spanish Societies of Cardiology and Anesthesia, re spectively. The Task Force has drawn up a set of guidelines focused on the training of anesthesiologists in intraoperative transesophageal echocardiog raphy, with the ultimate goal of stimulating cooperation between anesthesio logists, cardiologists and surgeons in the surgical area.