Imaging in heart failure: Role of preoperative imaging and intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography for heart failure surgery

摘要

The prevalence of chronic heart failure continues to increase with over 500,000 new cases diagnosed each year. This is largely due to improved survival and an aging population. Recent advances in imaging techniques have improved the diagnostic accuracy and resulted in earlier diagnoses of heart failure. These imaging techniques include echocardiography, nuclear cardiac imaging, computerized tomographic angiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Anesthesiologists involved in the care of heart failure patients should have adequate knowledge to review and understand the results of all preoperative cardiac investigations. At the time of presentation, they may find that patients with a history of heart failure have undergone several noninvasive imaging techniques to quantify coronary stenosis, measure ventricular function, diagnose valvular pathology and evaluate the viability of myocardium. This information is important when making decisions related to perioperative hemodynamic management and surgical planning.