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Objective: To evaluate the rates of mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) using routine intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (ITEE)., Methods: We conducted a retrospective, observational review of medical records of 360 patients from April 2010 to April 2012. We analyzed: age, weight, height, gender, EuroSCORE, diabetes mellitus, ejection fraction and number of diseased vessels. Outcomes were compiled in intraoperative and postoperative (myocardial infarction, stroke, renal failure, hemodialysis, atrial fibrillation, length of stay in the intensive care unit)., Results: 53 patients were included, with 27 receiving monitoring; we excluded 307 individuals, as they were not operated by the same surgical team. The two groups were homogeneous for age, weight and gender. However, the ejection fraction was lower in the group submitted to ITEE (ITEE group 56.3% versus Non-ITEE group 65.9 ± 11%, p = 0.01). In patients not subjected to ITEE, mortality was higher (ITEE group 0% versus Non-ITEE group 7.6%, p = 0.01). There was no significant difference between groups as for the incidence of stroke, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation and acute kidney injury., Conclusion: The use of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with cardiopulmonary bypass decreased perioperative mortality, warranted the use of inotropic drugs and vasodilators and contributed to a better patient outcome.

Background and Objectives: The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during heart harvesting for transplantation can guide the heart assessment, as harvesting a marginal heart can jeopardize the cardiac transplantation., Case Report: Male, 30 years old, suffered a car crash that resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) that evolved to brain death. The patient was intubated and ventilated with a fraction of inspired oxygen of 0.6, presetting Vt 500 mL, RR 14 bpm, PEEP of 3 mm Hg, 99% O(2) saturation, and normal blood gases. He was also hypovolemic, with urine output of 9,300 mL.day(-1), sodium level of 157 mEq.L(-1), hematocrit of 27%, and BP 90/60 mm Hg maintained by infusion of norepinephrine 0.5 mcg.kg.min(-1). The patient was clinically optimized and evaluated by TEE, which showed normal size cardiac chambers, ejection fraction 66%, anatomical and functional heart valves with no changes, and foramen ovale integrity. Immediately after the confirmation of cardiac viability and clinical stabilization, the patient was taken to the operating room and the harvest began. The ischemic period lasted two hours and the heart was successfully transplanted., Conclusions: In most heart transplant services, the cardiac assessment is made subjectively by the surgeon who often does not have the anesthesiologist support to clinically optimize the donor. At the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia (INC/MS), the anesthesiologist is part of the harvesting team in order to perform intraoperative TEE, evaluating objectively the harvested heart. In doing so, it provides greater chances of heart transplantation success with lower costs for the Brazilian public health system., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.)