What Is a Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE)?
A transesophageal echocardiogram, or TEE, is a specialized heart ultrasound that uses sound waves to create detailed pictures of your heart. Unlike a standard echocardiogram performed on the chest, TEE involves gently guiding a thin, flexible probe down your esophagus (the swallowing tube that runs behind your heart). Because the esophagus sits so close to the heart, the images are clearer and more precise.
TEE helps your doctor detect problems such as blood clots, infections, valve disease, holes in the heart, or other structural issues that may not show up clearly on standard tests.
Benefits With Our Service
At our cardiology clinic, TEE is performed by experienced specialists in a safe, supportive environment. We use this test to provide a closer, more accurate look at your heart when other imaging tests are not enough. By offering sedation and careful monitoring throughout the procedure, we make the experience as comfortable as possible. The clear and detailed images obtained through TEE allow your doctor to identify conditions such as valve disease, blood clots, or infections, and to make confident decisions about the most effective treatment plan for you.
Health Tips & Info
Preparation: You may be asked not to eat or drink for 6–8 hours before the test. Tell your doctor about all medications, allergies, and if you use dentures.
During the Test: You’ll receive a sedative and numbing spray for your throat. The probe is gently passed down the esophagus while you relax. The test usually takes 30–45 minutes.
After the Test: You’ll need someone to drive you home. Your throat may feel sore for a few hours, and you should avoid eating or drinking until the numbness wears off.
Follow-Up: Your doctor will review the images and discuss the results with you. TEE results can guide important treatment decisions—helping prevent complications like stroke or worsening valve disease.
Transesophageal Echocardiogram
Quick Info
A TEE uses ultrasound waves from inside your esophagus to create detailed pictures of your heart. Because the probe is positioned so close, it provides clearer images of your heart’s valves, chambers, and blood flow than a standard echocardiogram on the chest.
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During a TEE, you are given sedation and throat-numbing medicine to make the test comfortable. The clear, close-up images can help your doctor detect blood clots, infections, or valve disease early—guiding treatment and preventing serious complications like stroke.
You may need a TEE if your doctor wants clearer pictures of your heart valves, chambers, or blood clots that a standard echocardiogram cannot show well. It’s especially important for patients with atrial fibrillation, suspected endocarditis (infection), or unexplained stroke.
TEE is safe and generally well-tolerated. You’ll be given sedation to help you relax and numbing medicine for your throat. Most patients feel only mild pressure or gagging when the probe is placed. Risks are rare but can include sore throat, reaction to sedation, or very rarely, injury to the esophagus.
After your TEE, you’ll rest until the sedation wears off. Your throat may feel numb or slightly sore for a few hours, so you’ll be advised not to eat or drink until it’s safe to swallow normally. You’ll need someone to drive you home. Your doctor will review the images and then go over the results with you, explaining what they mean and any next steps for your care.