TEE view of severe aortic stenosis

Midesophageal aortic valve long-axis image at mid-systole in a patient with severe aortic stenosis (A). Anatomic characteristics of severe aortic stenosis include calcification and decreased separation of aortic valve cusps during ventricular systole. The functional severity of aortic stenosis was quantified using continuous-wave Doppler echocardiography in the transgastric long-axis view of the aortic valve (B) that demonstrates a peak velocity across the aortic valve of 441 cm/second. Using the simplified Bernoulli equation, this equals a peak instantaneous pressure gradient of 78 mmHg and a mean pressure gradient of 52 mmHg.