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"What Happens During A Transesophageal Echocardiogram?" Asks Sophie

Written By: Adam Pick, Patient Advocate, Author & Website Founder
Page Last Updated: July 16, 2025

I just received a great, follow-up question about medical tests used to diagnose heart valve disease from Sophie.

Sophie writes, "Adam - Thanks for the recent blog about cardiac MRIs and echocardiograms. Unfortunately, my aortic regurgitation continues to become more severe. It looks like I'll need surgery soon. To better diagnose it, I've been told I may need a transesophageal echocardiogram. Can you tell me what happens during a TEE? Is it painful? Thanks, Sophie"

To help Sophie better understand what happens during a transesophageal echocardiogram, I was super lucky to find an educational video that details this medical examination used to help diagnose heart valve disease.

If you have never heard the term before, a transesophageal echo uses an ultrasound transducer that is positioned on an endoscope and guided down the patient's throat into the esophagus (the "food pipe" leading from the mouth into the stomach). The TEE test provides a close look at the heart's valves and chambers, without interference from the ribs or lungs. TEE is often used when the results from standard echo tests are not sufficient, or when your doctor wants a closer look at your heart, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Written by Adam Pick - Patient & Website Founder

Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today.

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