A retrospective analysis of the costs and benefits related to alterations in cardiac surgery from routine intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography

We sought to determine how frequently intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) altered the planned surgical procedure and to assess the potential cost implications associated with these changes. A retrospective chart review was conducted at one university hospital. Cardiac surgical operative notes from July 1999 through June 2000 were reviewed. We interrogated all adult cardiac surgical records for patients scheduled for repair of coronary artery disease or valvular disease requiring the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Cancellations based on TEE findings were included in the analysis. Of the 430 patient records reviewed, 24 procedures were ether canceled or changed on the basis of the intraoperative TEE examination (5.6%; 95% confidence interval, 3.6%-8.2%). Six of these cases involved valvular heart disease, and the remaining 18 involved the intraoperative diagnosis and repair of a patent foramen ovale. A cost-benefit analysis based on the 6 valvular diagnoses revealed a saving of $230 per patient. Assuming that unnecessary present or future operations may be avoided by altering the surgical plan on the basis of TEE findings, these preliminary data suggest that routine intraoperative TEE in cardiac surgery is beneficial and cost-effective.