Should Cervical and Thoracic Osteophytes Be a Contraindication for Transesophageal Echocardiography in Cardiac Surgery?

Abstract

TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY (TEE) has been used in the operating room with increasing frequency since the early 1980s, and its safety has been reported across many centers. The diagnosis of esophageal injury is rare but should be considered in the postoperative setting after cardiac surgery using TEE, with an incidence of one in 1,000 major injuries.1 A case of delayed presentation of esophageal injury in a patient after cardiac surgery is described. The location and shape of the tear suggested the cause to be compression of the esophagus against a thoracic vertebral osteophyte.