USE OF INTRACARDIAC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN INTERVENTIONAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

Intracardiac echocardiography is emerging as a potentially useful tool during RF ablation procedures. There are a number of potential benefi ts of direct endocardial visualization during RF ablation including: ( 1) precise anatomical localization of the ablation catheter tip in rel ation to important endocardial structures, which cannot be visualized with fluoroscopy (2) reduction in fluoroscopy time; (3) evaluation of catheter tip tissue contact; (4) confirmation of lesion formation and identification of lesion size and continuity (5) immediate identificat ion of complications; and (6) as a research tool to help in understand ing the critical role played by specific endocardial structures in arr hythmogenesis. This article will review existing data and speculate as to possible future roles for intracardiac echocardiography in interve ntional electrophysiology.