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The role of echocardiography in cardiac resynchronization therapy

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Abstract

Echocardiography is the most important imaging tool for managing heart failure patients. With the advent of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), its role has been broadened by data pertaining to patient selection, optimization of device settings, and outcome assessment. Beyond ejection fraction determination, echocardiographic methods that measure tissue velocity and strain may have the capability to determine degree of mechanical dyssynchrony and possibly predict likelihood of benefit with CRT. After implantation (as the ventricles are fully paced, adjusting the atrioventricular delay [atrioventricular optimization]), the timing of the right ventricular and left ventricular lead stimulation (ventricular-ventricular optimization) to achieve maximal cardiac filling or ejection may be clinically important. Atrioventricular and ventricular-ventricular optimization rely on echocardiography to determine optimal values. In long-term follow-up, serial measurement of left ventricular volume has significant correlation with mortality and is a reasonable measure of successful CRT; echocardiography is uniquely suited for this purpose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Heart and Vascular Center, Christ Hospital, 2123 Auburn Avenue, Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH, 45219, USA

    Eugene S. Chung

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  1. Wojciech Mazur
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  2. Eugene S. Chung
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Correspondence to Eugene S. Chung.

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Mazur, W., Chung, E.S. The role of echocardiography in cardiac resynchronization therapy. Curr Heart Fail Rep 6, 37–43 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11897-009-0007-7

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