The Expanding Role of Echocardiography in Interventional Cardiology

Abstract

Echocardiography provides excellent realtime imaging of the heart, making it the imaging modality of choice immediately before, during and after cardiac interventional procedures. It helps to guide case selection and execution of the intervention, evaluates the effects of the intervention and enables early detection of complications. Advances in the design and technology of medical devices and delivery systems, coupled with demand for alternative non-surgical therapies for common medical problems, have led to an increase in the volume, variety and complexity of non-coronary cardiac interventional procedures performed. Many of these procedures require a multidisciplinary team approach and demand optimal imaging to ensure successful outcomes. The aim of this article is to review the expanding role of echocardiography in non-coronary interventional cardiology in adults.