Temporary pulmonary vein stenosis during intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in total cavopulmonary connection.

Two patients operated on by one of the authors (MK) developed hemodynamic instability after otherwise uneventful completion of total cavopulmonary anastomosis with an extracardiac tube. In both, a stenosis of the right pulmonary veins was demonstrated during routine intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. The transesophageal probe was found to be the underlying problem. Apparently, the pulmonary veins became compressed between the probe and the extracardiac conduit.