[Intracardiac echocardiography guiding structural heart disease interventions]

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Interventional Cardiology
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Recent advancements in structural heart disease interventions have increased the demand for improved imaging modalities.
• Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has limitations, driving the need for alternative imaging solutions.
• Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) has emerged as a promising technology in this field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current evidence supporting the use of ICE in structural heart interventions.
• To provide a practical guide for interventional cardiologists on employing ICE for procedural guidance.
• To highlight the advantages and applications of ICE in contemporary structural heart interventions.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search of studies involving ICE for structural heart interventions.
• Analysis of evidence on ICE's efficacy, safety, and technical aspects.
• Compilation of procedural insights and best practices for ICE utilization.

Main Results:

• ICE offers a viable alternative to TEE, overcoming some of its limitations.
• Evidence supports the use of ICE in guiding a range of structural heart procedures.
• Technological progress has enhanced ICE's capabilities and clinical adoption.

Conclusions:

• ICE is increasingly important for guiding structural heart interventions.
• The technology provides valuable real-time intracardiac visualization.
• ICE facilitates safer and more effective interventional procedures.