A guide for pre-procedural imaging for transcatheter aortic valve replacement patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Interventional Cardiology
• Anesthesiology

Background:

• Pre-procedural assessment of cardiovascular anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology is critical for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) outcomes.
• A shared understanding of imaging technologies among clinical care teams is imperative for optimizing TAVR patient care.
• Variations in pre-procedural assessment can lead to significant differences in procedural success and patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current imaging technologies used for pre-procedural assessment before TAVR.
• To enhance the understanding of cardiovascular imaging modalities among multidisciplinary TAVR teams.
• To emphasize the importance of comprehensive imaging for optimizing TAVR patient management.

Main Methods:

• Review of established and advanced cardiovascular imaging techniques.
• Inclusion of echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, cardiac computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance.
• Expert authorship from cardiac anesthesiology and interventional cardiology specializing in TAVR imaging.

Main Results:

• Detailed overview of imaging modalities for assessing the aortic valvular complex, ventricular function, and peripheral vasculature.
• Highlights the role of each imaging technique in evaluating key anatomical and physiological parameters relevant to TAVR.
• Identifies the strengths and applications of echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, CT, and MRI in the TAVR workup.

Conclusions:

• Improved comprehension of pre-procedural imaging technologies among all TAVR team members leads to safer patient care.
• Standardized understanding of imaging facilitates better coordination and decision-making in TAVR procedures.
• Effective utilization of cardiovascular imaging is fundamental to successful TAVR outcomes.