Echocardiography, including its transthoracic, transesophageal, and intracardiac modalities, is the primary imaging tool for evaluation of cardiac anatomy, function, and hemodynamics; echo plays a crucial role in pre-, intra-, and post-procedural assessment and guidance for structural heart intervention. Recent advances in echo technologies, including real-time 3-dimensional echo, new image rendering and reconstruction techniques, strain imaging, artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, intracardiac flow visualization, and other novel imaging techniques have not only further enhanced the clinical capability of echocardiography in guiding structural heart intervention but also provided new insights of the mechanisms of the underlying diseases.
A new cardiac sub-specialty – interventional echocardiography – that requires dedicated imaging expertise has developed, calling for structured training of new-generation imagers and advanced active research in this promising field.
Structural interventional cardiology is a rapidly advancing field with the varieties of new interventional devices increasing in a virtually exponential pace covering an ever-increasing types of structural heart disease; examples include transcatheter valve replacement and repair, left atrial appendage closure, and septal defect closure. Such rapid growth in structural interventional device and technology creates a parallel need for advancement in new imaging technology and techniques; without procedural imaging that can achieve comprehensive visualization and accurate evaluation of cardiac anatomy, hemodynamics, and outcome of the intervention, procedural efficacy and safety would be significantly compromised. Echocardiography is the primary imaging tool in structural heart disease evaluation and interventional guidance, especially useful as the only real-time intraprocedural imaging modality that can visualize target cardiac structures without radiation and contrast. Quality imaging research in the identification and validation of novel echocardiographic approach to enhance interventional procedural feasibility and success is therefore warranted.
Potential articles include, but are not limited to:
1) Original articles in innovative echocardiographic approaches for pre-, intra-, and/or post-procedural assessment of structural heart intervention.
2) Novel technologies in structural heart echocardiography, such as 3D echo, strain imaging, intracardiac flow visualization, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, new computational graphics techniques, and automation.
3) Comparative and validation study for different imaging modalities (echo, CT, CMR).
4) “How-to” or “methods” articles of practical application of
echocardiographic techniques in structural interventional cardiology.
5) Reviews, mini-reviews, or opinion articles of state-of-the-art, advanced use, and future trends of echocardiography in structural heart intervention.
6) Emerging echocardiographic techniques that may hold promise for use in structural interventional cardiology and/or structural heart disease evaluation.
Prof. Lee has the following Conflict of Interest: receiving speaker honorarium, research and educational grant from Abbott, Phillips, GE and Hitachi.
Echocardiography, including its transthoracic, transesophageal, and intracardiac modalities, is the primary imaging tool for evaluation of cardiac anatomy, function, and hemodynamics; echo plays a crucial role in pre-, intra-, and post-procedural assessment and guidance for structural heart intervention. Recent advances in echo technologies, including real-time 3-dimensional echo, new image rendering and reconstruction techniques, strain imaging, artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, intracardiac flow visualization, and other novel imaging techniques have not only further enhanced the clinical capability of echocardiography in guiding structural heart intervention but also provided new insights of the mechanisms of the underlying diseases.
A new cardiac sub-specialty – interventional echocardiography – that requires dedicated imaging expertise has developed, calling for structured training of new-generation imagers and advanced active research in this promising field.
Structural interventional cardiology is a rapidly advancing field with the varieties of new interventional devices increasing in a virtually exponential pace covering an ever-increasing types of structural heart disease; examples include transcatheter valve replacement and repair, left atrial appendage closure, and septal defect closure. Such rapid growth in structural interventional device and technology creates a parallel need for advancement in new imaging technology and techniques; without procedural imaging that can achieve comprehensive visualization and accurate evaluation of cardiac anatomy, hemodynamics, and outcome of the intervention, procedural efficacy and safety would be significantly compromised. Echocardiography is the primary imaging tool in structural heart disease evaluation and interventional guidance, especially useful as the only real-time intraprocedural imaging modality that can visualize target cardiac structures without radiation and contrast. Quality imaging research in the identification and validation of novel echocardiographic approach to enhance interventional procedural feasibility and success is therefore warranted.
Potential articles include, but are not limited to:
1) Original articles in innovative echocardiographic approaches for pre-, intra-, and/or post-procedural assessment of structural heart intervention.
2) Novel technologies in structural heart echocardiography, such as 3D echo, strain imaging, intracardiac flow visualization, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, new computational graphics techniques, and automation.
3) Comparative and validation study for different imaging modalities (echo, CT, CMR).
4) “How-to” or “methods” articles of practical application of
echocardiographic techniques in structural interventional cardiology.
5) Reviews, mini-reviews, or opinion articles of state-of-the-art, advanced use, and future trends of echocardiography in structural heart intervention.
6) Emerging echocardiographic techniques that may hold promise for use in structural interventional cardiology and/or structural heart disease evaluation.
Prof. Lee has the following Conflict of Interest: receiving speaker honorarium, research and educational grant from Abbott, Phillips, GE and Hitachi.
