Transesophageal Evaluation of Aortic Valve Prostheses

The noninvasive evaluation of prosthetic heart valves in the aortic position remains a diagnostic challenge. Although numerous studies have established the diagnostic value of transthoracic two-dimensional (2-D) and Doppler echocardiography [1–3], image quality is often impaired by emphysema, obesity, valve artifacts, and shadowing or flow masking due to the artifical valve materials [4]. Transesophageal echocardiography has overcome these methodological problems. Due to the proximity of the esophagus and the heart, the aortic valve can be visualized with a high image quality [5–7].