title: Safe and efectivef guidance by intracardiac echocardiography for transcatheter closure in atrial septal defects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical outcome of intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) for transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) compared with the trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) guided method.
  
  
  METHODS
  From May 2010 to April 2011, 46 patients who underwent ICE guided (n=23) or TEE guided (n=23) transcatheter closure of ASD were analyzed retrospectively. We compared the demographic characteristic, procedure parameters and outcomes between ICE- and TEE-guided groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was found between 2 groups on demographic characteristics. Fluoroscopy time and procedure time was significantly decreased in ICE guided group than that in TEE-guided group. In addition, no significant difference was found on treatment outcomes, complications between these 2 groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ICE-guided ASD occlusion is safe and effective method, which provides more accurate anatomical information, shorter fluoroscopy time and procedure time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University Yunnan 650032, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University Yunnan 650032, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University Yunnan 650032, China.
authors.forename: Guizheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University Yunnan 650032, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University Yunnan 650032, China.
authors.forename: Jiahua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University Yunnan 650032, China.
authors.forename: Shumin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University Yunnan 650032, China.
authors.forename: Baotong
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University Yunnan 650032, China.
authors.forename: Lijin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pu
keywords: Intracardiac echocardiography; atrial septal defect; trans-esophageal echocardiography; transcatheter closure