High-Quality Transesophageal Echocardiography

David Linker is an associate professor of medicine and bioengineering at the University of Washington and the director of the inpatient cardiology consultation service at University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, USA. In addition to his 40 years of experience in general cardiology and 30 years of performing transesophageal echocardiography, he is an expert in congenital heart disease and echocardiography. His current research focuses on teaching of procedural skills and new methods for costeffective diagnosis of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation to prevent stroke. He was the engineering project leader for one of the world’s first intravascular ultrasound systems. In addition, Dr. Linker participated in the creation of the Seattle Heart Failure Model, a practical tool to help physicians and patients understand the potential benefits of therapies. He is board-certified in internal medicine, cardiology, and pediatrics and is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Society of Echocardiography, and the European Society of Cardiology.

1. Introduction and how to use this book 2. Design and physical features of the probe 3. Patient safety and comfort 4. Introduction of the probe 5. Positioning and Moving the Probe 6. Optimizing image quality 7. Strategies for specific structures 8. An effective examination sequence 9. End of the examination, and post-procedure 10. Ultrasound 11. Instrumentation 12. Anatomy 13. Resources