A comparison of intracardiac and transesophageal echocardiography to detect left atrial appendage thrombus in a swine model.

Purpose: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the gold standard in the evaluation for left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and is often performed prior to AF ablation. We routinely use intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) to assist in AF ablation; however, standard right atrial views do not provide adequate visualization of the LAA. As the incidence of thrombus in this population is relatively low, TEE incurs additional risk, cost, and patient discomfort.

Characterization of the infarct substrate and ventricular tachycardia circuits with noncontact unipolar mapping in a porcine model of myocardial infarction.

Background: Conventional mapping of ventricular tachycardia (VT) after myocardial infarction is limited in patients with hemodynamically untolerated or noninducible VT.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a unique strategy using noncontact unipolar mapping to define infarct substrate and VT circuits.

Methods: Dynamic substrate mapping (DSM) was performed in seven pigs with healed anterior myocardial infarction.

Multiplane Transesophageal and Intracardiac Echocardiography in Large Swine: Imaging Technique, Normal Values, and Research Applications.

Transthoracic echocardiographic imaging has been difficult to attain in the swine model. This study: (1) compares multiplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with single plane TEE and intracardiac catheter echocardiography (ICE) for imaging of the swine cardiovascular system; and (2) defines normal values using these techniques in a closed chest large swine model (n = 24, body weight 50-114 kg). Multiplane TEE increased success rate over the single plane (the variable plane array only at 0 degrees ) TEE (P < 0.