Clinical and perioperative applications of three-dimensional echocardiography

Abstract

The use of three-dimensional echocardiography, both in the clinical cardiology and perioperative settings, has increased thanks to its ability to add important information to the standard bi-dimensional exam and to evaluate structures without geometric assumptions. Both real time three dimensional (3D) transesophageal echo and offline quantitative measurements from 3D acquisitions have become integral for qualitative and quantitative analysis of structures and for surgical and procedural guidance. This review aims to provide an overview on the applications of 3D echo, with particular reference to the perioperative settings.