Transgastric imaging : the key to successful periprocedural TEE guiding for edge-to-edge repair of the tricuspid valve

Abstract

Intraprocedural transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance plays an essential role in transcatheter repair therapy of the tricuspid valve (TV). So far, several different imaging concepts are in use. We propose an imaging protocol that fully addresses the morphological complexity of the TV and further offers efficacious workarounds for the frequently occurring restrictions of TV imaging in edge-to-edge repair of the TV. As a tertiary referral center with a large experience of more than 250 cases of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) of the TV performed at the Heart Valve Center in Mainz/Germany, we have constantly adapted our peri-interventional echocardiographic approach to accomplish both. As a key measure for success, we intensely rely on the transgastric acoustic windows that not only deliver high-resolution information on the morphology of the TV and all relevant procedural steps but also help to avoid the frequent shadowing artifacts experienced in transesophageal imaging.