Balloon atrial septostomy under transesophageal echocardiographic guidance.

ABSTRACT

Balloon atrial septostomy is an established method of palliation for several forms of congenital heart disease. Previously performed under fluoroscopic x-ray control, recent reports have demonstrated the utility of transthoracic echocardiographic monitoring. We report the first application of uniplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) (6.7-mm probe) as an alternative imaging modality for control of balloon atrial septostomy on neonates in the intensive care unit.