Left Atrial Multi-planar ICE Imaging for the Guidance of Left Atrial
Appendage Closure: A Comparative Study with TEE Imaging
Abstract
Introduction: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) fails to display
optimal views to guide left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) procedure in
some patients due to atrio-esophageal anatomical limitation. We aimed to
investigate if intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) conducted from left
atrium (LA) achieves comparable multi-planar views and clinical outcomes
as TEE during LAAC. Methods and Results: This study prospectively
enrolled 102 consecutive patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation
receiving LAmbre implants under local anesthesia at the First Affiliated
Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from August 2018 to July 2019.
The procedures were guided by either ICE (n=40), TEE (n=50) or combined
ICE-TEE (n=12). A novel multi-angled “FLAVOR” approach was used in ICE
group for assessment. ICE allowed visualization of implanted device in
all patients at all proposed angles with long-axis views, while TEE
failed to do so in at least one of the angles in 36% of cases. In the
combined ICE-TEE cohort, TEE failed peri-device leak assessment in 2
patients. Rates of procedural success, recapture, resizing and
complications were similar between ICE and TEE groups. Fluoroscopy time,
radiation dose and volume of contrast use in ICE group were
significantly lower than the TEE cohort. At 45-day TEE follow-up, rate
and degree of peri-device leaks were similar between the ICE and TEE
groups. Conclusions: A systematic approach using ICE to guide LAmbre LAA
occlusion was safe and feasible. This method was more reliable in
comprehensive, multi-angled imaging assessment, and achieving shorter
fluoroscopy time, lower radiation dose and less contrast use than TEE.