ABSTRACT
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is only occasionally requested for the primary evaluation of tricuspid valve (TV) and pulmonic valve (PV) disease. This is, in part, because isolated TV and PV diseases are relatively uncommon in comparison with leftsided valvular heart disease (1). Furthermore, compared with the mitral valve (MV) and aortic valve (AoV), these structures are more anterior and located in the TEE far field, making their assessment perhaps more difficult. Nevertheless, as transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) does not always allow the optimal evaluation of the TV and PV, particularly during cardiac surgery, TEE may yield very useful information complementary to TTE. A TEE examination, oblivious to the presence of right-sided valve disease in the operating room (OR), can lead to serious shortand long-term consequences for the patient. Rightheart failure secondary to right-sided valvulopathies can be extremely difficult to treat medically and may ultimately lead to a reduced event-free survival (2,3).
