Clinical use of echocardiography in structural heart disease

Recently, a development of devices for transcatheter interventions, such as transcatheter aortic valve implantation for aortic stenosis, percutaneous mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation, and percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect, has led to a greatly expanded armamentarium of catheter-based approaches for patients with structural heart disease (SHD). Comorbidity and anatomical limitations specific to each procedure are known to influence outcomes during and after the intervention. Therefore, risk stratification of the intervention including anatomical and functional assessments is critically important. Furthermore, echocardiography reveals both physiological and anatomical abnormalities of SHD in real-time even in the operation theater. Consequently, echocardiography plays an essential role in providing not only preoperative assessment of SHD but also intra-procedural monitoring and postoperative follow-up. This document is intended as a reference for cardiac surgeons using echocardiography clinically for patients with SHD, particularly those with valvular heart disease and atrial septal defect.