Role of modern 3D echocardiography in valvular heart disease

Role of modern 3D echocardiography in valvular heart disease

Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography has been conceived as one of the mostpromising methods for the diagnosis of valvular heart disease, and recently has becomean integral clinical tool thanks to the development of high quality real-timetransesophageal echocardiography (TEE). In particular, for mitral valve diseases,this new approach has proven to be the most unique, powerful, and convincingmethod for understanding the complicated anatomy of the mitral valve and its dynamism. The method has been useful for surgical management, including roboticmitral valve repair. Moreover, this method has become indispensable for nonsurgicalmitral procedures such as edge to edge mitral repair and transcatheter closureof paravaluvular leaks. In addition, color Doppler 3D echo has been valuable toidentify the location of the regurgitant orifice and the severity of the mitral regurgitation. For aortic and tricuspid valve diseases, this method may not be quite asvaluable as for the mitral valve. However, the necessity of 3D echo is recognized forcertain situations even for these valves, such as for evaluating the aortic annulus fortranscatheter aortic valve implantation. It is now clear that this method, especiallywith the continued development of real-time 3D TEE technology, will enhance thediagnosis and management of patients with these valvular heart diseases.

Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography has been conceived as one of the mostpromising methods for the diagnosis of valvular heart disease, and recently has becomean integral clinical tool thanks to the development of high quality real-timetransesophageal echocardiography (TEE). In particular, for mitral valve diseases,this new approach has proven to be the most unique, powerful, and convincingmethod for understanding the complicated anatomy of the mitral valve and its dynamism. The method has been useful for surgical management, including roboticmitral valve repair. Moreover, this method has become indispensable for nonsurgicalmitral procedures such as edge to edge mitral repair and transcatheter closureof paravaluvular leaks. In addition, color Doppler 3D echo has been valuable toidentify the location of the regurgitant orifice and the severity of the mitral regurgitation. For aortic and tricuspid valve diseases, this method may not be quite asvaluable as for the mitral valve. However, the necessity of 3D echo is recognized forcertain situations even for these valves, such as for evaluating the aortic annulus fortranscatheter aortic valve implantation. It is now clear that this method, especiallywith the continued development of real-time 3D TEE technology, will enhance thediagnosis and management of patients with these valvular heart diseases.