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Transoesophageal Echocardiogram

A Transeosophageal Echocardiogram (TOE) is a form of echo where a miniature ultrasound probe is passed down the throat into the oesophagus (which connects the mouth to the stomach) to look the back of the heart. Its close proximity to the heart usually produces very high quality images of the heart to assess its structure and function .

This procedure is enabled with anaesthetic spray that numbs the throat and sedative medications provided by an anaesthetist to help you relax and sleep.

TOE is usually performed to better evaluate heart conditions initially recognised on a Transthoracic Echo (TTE) or to assess for abnormalities that TTE is unable to adequately visualise.

Dr Nowakowski is a highly trained cardiologist in Canberra with a wealth of experience in this procedure. He completed an advanced echocardiography fellowship specialising in TOE at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, a world-renowned centre for echocardiography and heart valve intervention. Here he gained experience in the guidance of structural cardiac interventions and electrophysiology procedures. He is clinical lead of echocardiography at The Canberra Hospital.