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Left atrial appendage occlusion using intracardiac echocardiography
Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure (LAAC) has emerged as an alternative prevention strategy for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and contraindications to long-term anticoagulation.1 In randomized trials studying the Watchman device (Boston Scientific, St. Paul, MN), implantation was performed under transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) guidance.1 The use of TEE often mandates the presence of general anesthesia and an additional cardiologist or anesthesiologist to perform TEE. This uses greater health care resources and adds additional complexity to the procedure.Retrograde venous ethanol ablation for ventricular tachycardia
Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has been considered the first-line therapy for treatment of drug-refractory ventricular arrhythmias (VAs).1 The success of catheter ablation depends on our ability to reach the anatomic location of the ventricular tachycardia (VT) substrate. VTs arising from deep intramural regions2 or in close proximity to coronary vessels3 can have limited RFCA success. Transarterial coronary ethanol ablation has been used as an alternative treatment option and is reasonably successful in treating RFCA-refractory VTs.
