Pre-cath Laboratory Planning for Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion - Optional or Essential?

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular medicine
• Medical imaging
• Interventional cardiology

Background:

• Advancements in cardiovascular procedural technologies necessitate enhanced preprocedural planning.
• Physician-led multi-modality imaging training is crucial for improving procedural accuracy.
• Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion (LAAO) procedures can be complex and carry risks of complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of physician-led preprocedural planning in LAAO.
• To discuss the benefits of various imaging modalities and digital tools in LAAO.
• To advocate for standardized imaging protocols in LAAO.

Main Methods:

• Review of the benefits of cardiac CT and 3D printing in preprocedural planning.
• Discussion of novel applications of intraprocedural 3D angiography and dynamic fusion imaging.
• Exploration of potential roles for computational modeling and artificial intelligence (AI).

Main Results:

• Physician-driven imaging and digital tools can substantially decrease LAAO complications like device leak, cardiac injury, and embolization.
• Cardiac CT and 3D printing offer significant advantages for Heart Team preprocedural planning.
• Emerging technologies like AI show promise for further enhancing procedural success.

Conclusions:

• Standardized preprocedural imaging planning by physicians is essential for optimal patient-centric procedural success in LAAO.
• The integration of advanced imaging and digital tools by the Heart Team is critical for improving LAAO outcomes.
• Physician expertise in utilizing multi-modality imaging is key to minimizing risks and maximizing efficacy in LAAO procedures.