Perioperative Echocardiography in Clinical Practice

Perioperative echocardiography has come of age, as evidenced by separate examinations and certifications processes. Albeit a unique area within echocardiography, perioperative echocardiography is not only concerned with precise diagnosis (e.g. presence and severity of mitral regurgitation) but also with mechanisms of action (e.g. valve repair versus replacement) and in assessment of intervention (e.g. inadequacy of mitral valve repair). The echocardiographer is an integral member of the surgical, perfusion, anesthetic and nursing team, providing them with what is known and what is unknown. This highly-illustrated, case-oriented text provides the reader with 100 case presentations, peroperative/intraoperative echocardiographic features, echocardiographic-assisted decision-making for planned intervention, and postoperative echocardiographic assessment. The editors and contributors provide the reader with both common and rare cardiac problems so that the reader can perform a systematic TEE examination and apply the acquired data to intraoperative decision-making.