Recommendations for comprehensive intraprocedural echocardiographic imaging during TAVR

Abstract

Recent multicenter trials have shown that transcatheter aortic valve replacement is an alternative to surgery in a high risk population of patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis. Echocardiography and multislice computed tomographic imaging are accepted tools in the pre-procedural imaging of the aortic valve complex and vascular access. Transesophageal echocardiography can be valuable for intraprocedural confirmation of the landing zone morphology and measurements, positioning of the valve and post-procedural evaluation of complications. The current paper provides recommendations for pre-procedural and intraprocedural imaging used in assessing patients for transcatheter aortic valve replacement with either balloon-expandable or self-expanding transcatheter heart valves.

Keywords: TAVR; aortic stenosis; aortic valve; echocardiography.