Course Description

Participants in the Duke Intraoperative TEE Preceptorship spend one three-day session in the cardiac operating suites, observing techniques of intraoperative TEE and interpretation of images. Preceptors will participate in active discussions with cardiothoracic anesthesia faculty and fellows, and learn the basic TEE exam. They will also learn how to troubleshoot difficult cases and enhance their decision-making skills in the operating room. Cases will be reviewed with fellows and faculty and images from pathology libraries will be used to augment the preceptorship experience.

Features and Daily Activities

• Preceptorship is observation only.*
• Two preceptors per three day session
• Cases in OR start around 7:00 a.m.
• Rounds in OR with faculty and TEE fellow
• Machine ‘knobology’, probe handling and maintenance
• The basic TEE exam and views to obtain
• Optimizing images
• Live 3D TEE in action
• 3D TEE Data acquisition and analysis
• Interactive discussions in the operating room on decision-making
• Estimating ejection fraction
• Hemodynamic calculations
• National Board of Echocardiography TEE exam information
• Discussion on unusual pathology and complex cases

Target Audience and Prerequisites

This TEE Preceptorship Course is designed for physicians involved in perioperative care of patients with cardiovascular disease who desire to enhance their diagnostic skills with transesophageal echocardiography. Participating physicians should have a basic understanding of techniques of echocardiography in practice or through other instructional courses. Physicians who plan to take the National Board of Echocardiography examination in perioperative TEE will benefit from the preceptorship experience.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this preceptorship, the learner should be better able to:

1. Delineate a comprehensive intraoperative TEE exam
2. Assess global cardiac function and identify valvular pathology
3. Identify and assess the severity of native and prosthetic valvular dysfunction

* No ‘hands-on’ experience or patient contact permitted. NC Medical Board license and Duke Hospital credentialing is mandatory for clinical patient contact.

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