• John S McNeil, Karen E Singh, Paul D Gallo, Bruce Gehle, Matthew B Saunders, and Michael A Mazzeffi.
• Department of Anesthesiology, University of Virginia Health, Charlottesville, VA. Electronic address: JSM6J@uvahealth.org.
• J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. 2024 Jan 1; 38 (1): 118122118-122.

AbstractMore than 300,000 adults have cardiac surgery in the United States annually, and most undergo intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). This patient population is often older with multiple comorbidities, increasing their risk for complications for even routine procedures. Major morbidity or mortality caused by TEE is rare, and it is unknown how often such complications lead to malpractice lawsuits. The authors identified 13 cases out of 2,564 in a closed claims database that involved TEE and reviewed their etiology. Esophageal injury accounted for most of the suits, and only 2 were related to diagnosis. Most expert reviews deemed the care provided by the anesthesiologist to be appropriate.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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