Predictive Value of Intraoperative Diagnosis of Residual Ventricular Septal Defects by Transesophageal Echocardiography

Although IOTEE is sensitive enough to detect residual VSD shunts in many patients (37% of this cohort), the majority of these defects are trivial and resolve spontaneously, with a positive predictive value of only 15% on follow-up transthoracic echocardiographic examination and a rare need for reoperation.