Interventional Hybride Imaging working group

The procedural success of interventions in structural heart disease depends on adequate peri-interventional imaging using a combination of fluoroscopy, MSCT-data with 3D-reconstruction and echocardiography. The major advantage of peri-interventional imaging consists in the optimized overview of the cardiac structures and the monitoring of the entire procedure with an excellent spatial resolution. The study group around Dr. Jan Balzer was one of the first groups to demonstrate the benefits of 3D echocardiography, especially 3D transesophageal echocardiography during interventional treatment of structural heart disease such as functional mitral regurgitation (MitraClip), aortic stenosis (TAVI) or closure of interatrial defects (ASD, PFO) and left atrial appendages (LAA). In this context the study group is in charge of a running research project implementing “hybrid imaging” of different imaging modalities (MRI, CT, fluoroscopy, echocardiography) based on 3D echocardiographic data into the generation of an individual heart model, created by fusion imaging of all modalities in order to improve diagnostic accuracy and interventional safety of complex cardiac procedures in the cath lab for the patient.