Role of cross-sectional imaging for structural heart disease interventions

With the aging population, significant valvular heart disease is increasingly identified in patients too frail to undergo surgery. Transcatheter therapies for structural heart disease represent an alternative therapeutic approach for these patients. During these procedures, direct visualization of the surgical field is replaced by image guidance for intraprocedural decision making. Advances in percutaneous devices and delivery systems, coupled with enhancements in 3-dimensional imaging with multiplanar reformatting, have allowed these procedures to be performed safely and with excellent results. This article describes the role of cross-sectional imaging for detailed assessment and preprocedural planning of aortic, mitral, and pulmonic valve interventions.