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Our Services: Transoesophageal Echo

Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) is an invasive echo test that is done to provide to your doctor the very best soundwave (ultrasound) pictures of your heart. It evaluates heart chamber size and pumping action, valve appearance and function and the blood flow through the heart. The ultrasound images of your heart are taken from your oesophagus (food pipe) which lays next to the back of the heart. TOE provides vastly superior picture quality compared to echo pictures obtained from the chest surface, where the picture quality may be variable quality. There is much less interference to sound wave travel from the oesophagus into the heart compared to travel from the chest surface, through the chest wall and lungs into the heart.

The study uses a similar method as looking down into the stomach. The back of your throat is numbed with a xylocaine local anaesthetic gargle. You will be fitted with a mouthguard. An intravenous tube (IV) will be placed in your arm to sedate you. The sedation medicine is given to make you very relaxed. After you are very relaxed and possibly asleep, the TOE probe is placed gently into your mouth and passed down your oesophagus to the area close to the heart. When the probe is in the right place, the soundwave pictures are taken. After the test is completed, the probe is removed and the IV is taken out of your arm. You then stay for two hours before you can go home.

Your doctor will be sent a report by the next day.

To prepare for this test:

  • Do not eat or drink anything for six hours before the test. You may take your usual medications with a sip of water unless your doctor instructs you to do otherwise. If you are taking insulin you must let the doctor or technician know, as you will be given special instructions.

  • As you will be given relaxing medication, you may feel relaxed and sleepy after the study. Therefore you will need to have someone drive you home.

  • The back of your throat may still be somewhat numb after the test, so you should wait two hours before trying to sip water. You should only try to eat solid food when you can drink normally and your throat is normal.

If you encounter any problems after the test or if you have any questions, please contact your doctor.

Related Articles:
Are all Echocardiographic Studies the Same?
FAQs - Transoesphogeal Echo (TOE)



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