[Perioperative Role of Echocardiography and its Influence on Surgical Management]. / Einfluss der perioperativen Echokardiografie auf das chirurgische Management.

Perioperative echocardiography is an important puzzle piece for surgical management especially in the area of cardiovascular surgery. This imaging technique is not only used to confirm preoperatively made diagnoses but also for morphological and functional assessment of cardiac structures and verification of surgical or interventional results. Moreover, echocardiography is used for hemodynamic monitoring and guidance of pharmacological therapy. This article gives an overview of the impact of echocardiography on surgical management from a clinical point of view. Indications and contraindications are discussed as well as the use of echocardiography during the different phases of surgery and intensive care. The possible influence of the echocardiographic finding on modification of the surgical approach is presented based on a case example and underlined by clinical tips and tricks.