title: Transesophageal Echocardiography in Atrial Fibrillation.
abstract: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) plays an important role in atrial fibrillation (AF), mainly to detect the presence of left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus. It is useful in direct current cardioversion (DCC) guidance and for AF ablation and LAA occlusion. With the increasing number of patients affected by AF, the use of TEE will grow and become an important screening modality for LAA thrombus. Future direction includes broader multi-institutional use; further tools to risk stratify patients; and the use of a new spectrum of oral anticoagulants and their cost-effectiveness in patients with AF undergoing DCC, AF ablation, and LAA occlusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk J1-5, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Teerapat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yingchoncharoen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk J1-5, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk J1-5, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
authors.forename: Luke J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Burchill
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk J1-5, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. Electronic address: kleina@ccf.org.
authors.forename: Allan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Klein
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Left atrial appendage; Stroke; Transesophageal echocardiography