Transesophageal Image Acquisition

In TEE, the ultrasound probe is inserted in the mouth and is advanced down the esophagus and then into the stomach. TEE can more consistently obtain higher resolution images than TTE because the esophagus is adjacent to the posterior heart, without any intervening structures of the ribs and lung. However, image alignment may be more difficult because the probe is confined to the esophagus. A review of the comprehensive TEE examination is beyond the scope of this chapter, but basic views will be discussed.