3D transesophageal mitral valve

Meticulous understanding of the mechanisms underpinning mitral regurgitation in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is crucial to optimize therapeutic strategies. The morphologic characteristics of mitral valves in atrial functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) patients with and without left ventricular (LV) dysfunction were evaluated by high volume rate (HVR) three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D-TEE). In our study, 68 of 265 AF patients who underwent 3D-TEE were selected, including 36 patients with AF, FMR, and preserved LV function (AFMR group) and 32 patients with AF, FMR, and LV dysfunction (VFMR group)...

Although mycotic aneurysm is a known and important disease in the cerebrovascular system, especially the brain, there are scarce reports about coronary artery mycotic aneurysms (CAMA). CAMA can occur not only in the context of endocarditis but also as a rare adverse event of coronary artery stenting, which has been used more extensively in recent years. Accordingly, it is essential to pay greater attention to its associated presentations and clinical course. Considering the scant evidence available, reporting the disease course of each patient with CAMA can help increase the physician's knowledge about this condition, which is why we are reporting this case...

Echocardiography is an important diagnostic imaging modality in recognizing rheumatic heart disease, a chronic sequelae of acute rheumatic fever. Left-sided heart valves, especially the mitral valve is typically affected, with stenosis or regurgitation as a consequence. Although assessment of valve area by 2D planimetry is the reference method for mitral stenosis severity, 3D planimetry provides more accurate measurement and diagnostic value. Careful selection of patients in terms of echocardiographic criteria is essential to ensure safety and success of the intervention and better long-term outcomes...

OBJECTIVE: Transventricular beating-heart mitral valve repair (TBMVR) with artificial chordae implantation is a technique to treat mitral valve prolapse. Two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography completed with simultaneous biplane view during surgeon finger pushing on the left ventricular (LV) wall (finger test [FT]) is currently used to localize the desired LV access, on the inferior-lateral wall, between the papillary muscles (PMs). We aimed to compare a new three-dimensional (3D) method with conventional FT in terms of safety and better localization of LV access...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to determine the association between vena contracta area (VCA) and secondary leaflet tethering among mitral valve prolapse (MVP) patients, and thus to further identify and characterize an MVP with pathological leaflet tethering (MVPt+) phenotype. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 94 consecutive MVP patients with significant mitral regurgitation (MR) and 21 healthy controls. MVPt+ group was defined as tenting volume index (TVi) > ...

BACKGROUND: Mitral annular alterations in the context of heart failure often lead to severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR), which should be treated with transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) according to current guidelines. M-TEER's effects on mitral valve (MV) annular remodeling have not been well elucidated. METHODS: 141 consecutive patients undergoing M-TEER for treatment of FMR were included in this investigation. Comprehensive intraprocedural transesophageal echocardiography was used to assess the acute effects of M-TEER on annular geometry...

Although transcatheter valve therapy is rapidly evolving, surgical valve replacement is still required in many patients with severe left-side valve stenosis or regurgitation, the mechanical bi-leaflet heart valve being the standard prosthesis type in younger patients. Moreover, the prevalence of valvular heart disease is steadily increasing, especially in industrialized countries, and the problem of lifelong efficient anticoagulation of these patients remains fundamental, especially in the context where vitamin K antagonists continue to be the current standard of anticoagulation despite a level of oscillating anticoagulation...

BACKGROUND: It is unclear to what degree of tricuspid annulus (TA) reduction is necessary to achieve good postoperative results in surgical bicuspidization. The study aimed to evaluate TA and right heart chamber's dimensions before and after heart surgery; and to compare TA parameters assessed by different modalities. METHODS: Forty patients underwent mitral valve surgery with or without concomitant tricuspid valve (TV) bicuspidization. Preoperative and postoperative measurements of TA dimensions were performed prospectively using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE)...

BACKGROUND: Paravalvular leaks can be detected in almost 15% of patients after mitral valve prosthesis implantation. This complication can result in congestive heart failure and hemolysis. Despite advancements in non-invasive imaging, percutaneous closure of paravalvular leaks is not always successful. Therefore, efforts are made to improve treatment outcomes by using 3D-printed models of defects as pre-procedural support for interventional cardiologists. METHODS: Retrospectively, 3D-transesophageal echocardiography recordings of 8 patients with clinically significant mitral paravalvular leaks were analyzed...

Quantification of chronic mitral regurgitation (MR) is essential to guide patients' clinical management and define the need and appropriate timing for mitral valve surgery. Echocardiography represents the first-line imaging modality to assess MR and requires an integrative approach based on qualitative, semiquantitative, and quantitative parameters. Of note, quantitative parameters, such as the echocardiographic effective regurgitant orifice area, regurgitant volume (RegV), and regurgitant fraction (RegF), are considered the most reliable indicators of MR severity...

BACKGROUND: In mitral stenosis (MS), the combination of an increase in left atrium (LA) pressure and atrial inflammatory response is accompanied by increase in interstitial fibrosis of the atrial wall with disorganization of atrial muscle bundles, LA dysfunction and subsequently LA dilatation. We aimed to assess the effect of severe rheumatic MS on LA volumes and mechanics. METHODS: We enrolled 40 patients with pure severe rheumatic MS and sinus rhythm as a patient group and 30 healthy subjects as a control group...

BACKGROUND: From a variety of ring types, semirigid ring is more preferred for mitral annuloplasty during mitral valve repair particularly in patients whose native mitral saddle shape annulus is well maintained. During mitral annuloplasty artificial chord implantation with the appropriate neochord length is surgically challenging. We present our experience of using the Memo 3D ReChord, a semirigid ring with additional chordal guiding system for mitral valve repair. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From September 2018 to February 2020, we successfully treated ten patients with severe (4+/4+) degenerative mitral valve regurgitation due to posterior leaflet prolapse with chordal rupture with the implantation Memo 3D ReChord and neo-chords...

BACKGROUND: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) conventional multiplane approach (MPA) and the newly proposed commissural-biplane approach (CBA) are the recommended algorithms for identifying the affected mitral valve (MV) segments in the setting of mitral regurgitation. To date, there are no reports to address the diagnostic performance of CBA. In this study we aim to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of CBA and MPA in comparison with three-dimensional echocardiographic findings in patients with severe mitral regurgitation...

The NeoChord procedure is an echo-guided trans-ventricular beating-heart mitral valve repair technique to treat degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) due to prolapse and/or flail. The aim of this study is to analyze echocardiographic images to find pre-operative parameters to predict procedural success (≤moderate MR) at 3-year follow-up. Seventy-two consecutive patients with severe MR underwent the NeoChord procedure between 2015 and 2021. MV pre-operative morphological parameters were assessed using 3D transesophageal echocardiography with dedicated software (QLAB, Philips)...

BACKGROUND: The use of mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) is rapidly increasing. Anatomical changes have been described after TEER with the MitraClip system in patients with functional mitral regurgitation (MR), although no study has yet evaluated such anatomical impacts in patients treated with the G4 MitraClip generation. METHODS: This research constituted a prospective, single-center, observational study including consecutive patients with functional MR...

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a common chronic degenerative process of the mitral valve fibrous support ring. MAC increases the risk of mitral valve dysfunction, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and worse outcomes in cardiac interventions. Echocardiography represents the first imaging modality for MAC assessment, but it has low specificity compared to cardiac CT in terms of distinguishing between calcium and dense collagen. Novel three-dimensional transesophageal maximal intensity projection (MIP) mapping allows for the real-time MAC distribution and depth visualization of the cardiac anatomy and represents a useful and promising tool for pre-procedural assessment and intra-procedural guidance of cardiac interventions...

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A 48-year-old man with recurrent cerebral ischemic events underwent transesophageal echocardiography to investigate cardioembolic sources because transthoracic echocardiography had spotted a dubious filamentous mass on the mitral valve. A venous umbilical catheter, lost during the hospital stay after his birth, was surprisingly identified in his cardiac chambers. ( Level of Difficulty: Beginner. ).

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of degenerative mitral regurgitation (dMR) and preoperative planning for transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr). TEE is an invasive modality requiring anesthesia and esophageal intubation. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic has limited the number of elective invasive procedures. Multi-detector computed tomographic angiography (MDCT) provides high-resolution images and 3D reconstructions to assess complex mitral anatomy...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to describe the heterogeneous extension of mitral annular disjunction (MAD) and assess the hypotesis that different phenotypes of disjunction are not associated with increased surgical challenges. BACKGROUND: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common end-stage scenario of degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD). Few data exist on the three-dimensional extension and geometry of MAD, as well as for its role in valvular dynamic and coaptation...