When do you need TEE before cardioversion?

American guidelines suggest that a TEE-based approach be used only for symptomatic patients and for patients for whom there is a concern about a 3- to 8-week delay in cardioversion.

Is TEE required for cardioversion?

A Cardioversion is the use of electric current to “shock” your heart back into a normal rhythm. For this procedure you will be given medication to make you sleep. Before the cardioversion you will need a special ultrasound called a Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE).

What is a TEE procedure for AFib?

A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is a type of ultrasound test. Your doctor puts a tube down your esophagus with an ultrasound device that takes a series of moving pictures of your heart. It can show if it makes clots when it pumps blood.

Do you hold blood thinners for TEE?

Notify the doctor if patients have a history of bleeding disorders or if they are taking any anticoagulant (blood-thinning) medications, aspirin, or other medications that affect blood clotting. It may be necessary to stop some of these medications prior to the procedure.

Are you awake for a TEE?

Once the test is ready to begin, you will be given a sedative to help you relax, and a numbing medication will be sprayed down your throat. This will make the passage of the transesophageal ultrasound probe more comfortable. You will be awake enough to swallow if necessary.

What does a TEE look for?

A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is a special type of echocardiogram. It is usually done when your doctor wants to look more closely at your heart to see if it could be producing blood clots. Like an echocardiogram, the TEE uses high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) to examine the structures of the heart.

What are the side effects of TEE?

Possible risks of a TEE include:

• Breathing problems.
• Heart rhythm problems.
• Bleeding.
• Injury to the teeth, mouth, throat, or esophagus.

Are you put to sleep for a TEE?

Once you arrive After changing into a hospital gown, you’ll meet your nurse. They’ll place an intravenous (IV) catheter into one of your veins, usually in your hand or arm. The IV will be used to give you anesthesia (medication to make you sleep) during your procedure.

Is TEE procedure painful?

Your throat will be numbed with an anesthetic, then a flexible tube about the size of your index finger is inserted into your mouth and down your esophagus. During the procedure, you may feel the probe moving, but it won’t be painful or interfere with your breathing.

Does cardioversion always work to stop atrial fibrillation?

Cardioversion can return your heart to a normal rhythm. But atrial fibrillation often comes back . This treatment may not work as well when atrial fibrillation is caused by another heart disease, such as heart failure, or when you have had atrial fibrillation many times.

What are the side effects of cardioversion?

Complications aren’t common and if you experience any side effects after the cardioversion, they will usually be temporary. After your cardioversion, you may get headaches and dizziness from a drop in your blood pressure. You may also feel a small amount of discomfort in your chest where the shock was given.

How successful is cardioversion?

DC cardioversion is considered successful when the patient’s arrhythmia has been reversed and normal heart rhythm has been re-established. For patients who have suffered from atrial fibrillation for less than one year, DC cardioversion offers a success rate of 90 percent, Wolters Kluwer Health reports.

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