New ASE Guideline Focuses On The Acquisition Of Essential Transesophaegal Echocardiogram Images For Structural Heart Disease Assessment Before Intervention

As the increasing number of structural heart interventions are assisted by real-time imaging guidance, interventional echocardiography is being recognized as a subspecialty requiring advanced training for intraprocedural guidance. The new guideline document from the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), Standards for the Performance of Transesophageal Echocardiographic Screening for Structural Heart Intervention, focuses on providing a teaching resource for this growing population of specialists. The guideline elucidates and standardizes the acquisition of essential pre-interventional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) images to help accurately identify the mechanism of structural/valvular dysfunction, the hemodynamic as well as anatomic severity of the disease, and specific anatomic features to facilitate appropriate device selection or exclusion. This peer-reviewed guideline, created by 14 international echocardiographers who are experts in this emerging field, has been endorsed by 25 ASE International Alliance Partners and is published in the January 2022 issue of the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography. Read more here.

Submit Your Abstract for ASE 2022

Submit your abstract of original science or clinical case report to be considered for presentation at the premier cardiovascular ultrasound conference of the year, the 33rd Annual ASE Scientific Sessions, scheduled to take place in Seattle, Washington, June 10-13, 2022. Submission closes Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at 11:59 PM ET.

ASE abstract presenters benefit from a global audience that promotes future collaborative work, eligibility for grant support, and sharply discounted conference registration rates. Share your important findings with fellow investigators and colleagues, and interact with global leaders in the field. Learn more here.

Honor Your ASE Mentor with a Named Table at the ASEF’s Annual Research Awards Gala

The ASE Foundation Board is pleased to offer donors a new opportunity to make a donation with name recognition. Donors are invited to purchase naming rights for a table at the Foundation’s Annual Research Awards Gala. For a $5,000 donation, a table may be named in honor or in memory of an ASE luminary (a member with a significant relationship to ASE) for a period of five years. A gift of $35,000 will name that table in perpetuity. All gifts will be treated as a contribution to the Pamela S. Douglas Research Scholar Endowment Fund, and support future Douglas Research Scholar Awards.

To kick off the named tables promotion, ASE has purchased two tables honoring legends Harvey Feigenbaum, MD, FASE, and Liv Hatle, MD, FASE. Please think about honoring your mentor or other luminaries and raising needed funds for research at the same time!

Available tables are limited. Please contact Andrea Van Hoever at AVanHoever@ASEcho.org for more information.

All requests to name a table will be vetted by the ASE Foundation Board, and honorees must agree to a social media screening performed by a third-party vendor. Naming rights do not guarantee location of the table, ownership of the table, a guaranteed seat at the Gala each year, nor discounts on other tables. Attendance at the Gala will require purchase of a ticket or table, but staff will make every effort to match donors’ seating assignments at named tables as possible. 

ASE Headquarters Closed

ASE Headquarters will be closed December 23, 24, 27, 31, and January 3. Thank you in advance for your patience as response times may be delayed due to these office closures. Normal business hours will resume Tuesday, January 4.

New Add-on CPT Code and Value for Three-Dimensional Echocardiography

ASE is proud to see the establishment of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) add-on code +93319.

This code describes the clinical work involved in 3D echocardiographic imaging and post-processing during transesophageal echocardiography, or during transthoracic echocardiography for congenital cardiac anomalies and includes the assessment of cardiac structures and function (cardiac chambers, valves, left atrial appendage, interatrial septum, and function for example), when performed.

To use this new add-on code and be reimbursed properly, you must list this new CPT code in addition to the appropriate base echocardiography code: congenital transthoracic (CPT codes 93303, 93304) or Transesophageal Echocardiography (CPT codes 93312, 93314, 93315, 93317). It is important to note that this is not an add-on code for CPT code 93355 since this code already includes 3D imaging for guidance of a structural intervention. CPT codes 76376 and 76377 are not add-on codes and are appropriate for reporting 3D-rendering services provided on a date separate from the base-imaging study.

This code, along with the RUC-recommended physician work RVU of 0.50, will be effective on January 1, 2022.

Often it takes time for commercial payers to review and support new technology codes/policies and the associated literature. The COVID-19 pandemic may delay the process even further. ASE suggests that providers always verify with the payers if authorization must be approved in advance.

Questions? Please contact Irene Butler, Vice President of Health Policy & Member Relations.

December CASE – The Gift of Continual Fine-Tuning

The latest issue of CASE, ASE’s open access case reports journal, is available and includes, “Left Ventricular Intramyocardial Dissecting Hematoma,” by Junya Tanabe, MD, Koichi Okazaki, MD, Akihiro Endo, MD, and Kazuaki Tanabe, MD. Vincent L. Sorrell, MD, FASE, CASE Editor-in-Chief, said, “One of the many unique benefits of a digital, case-based journal is the ability to immediately inform healthcare providers of rarely reported deadly findings that may easily be misdiagnosed if not seen before. As the old but accurate adage goes: You can’t diagnose what you don’t know! Dr. Tanabe et al. provide us with an excellent report of a patient with an intramyocardial dissecting hematoma as a complication after an untreated myocardial infarction. The authors include a comprehensive approach to making these diagnoses with echocardiography and include a table with three criteria for the reader’s use. In addition to a discussion into the likely mechanistic explanation, they highlight the commonly misinterpreted diagnoses that may look like this deadly post-infarct complication (e.g., noncompaction, hypereosinophilic syndrome, pseudoaneurysm, or LV thrombus). This case is a wonderful reminder that we always need to expand our knowledge base, and reading case reports is certainly one way to do this.”
Additionally, this issue includes two more rare but deadly finding cases, cases on the complementary role of multimodal imaging, endocarditis, bedside learning with POCUS, congenital heart disease, the role of stress in clinical decision making, a right atrial epidermoid cyst, and the importance of nomenclature. The editorial from Dr. Sorrell, “Does Anyone Remember ‘Fingerprints on an X-ray?‘” is not only a fun read but also elucidates how the ways we should learn are not always obvious.
Visit the CASE Homepage to see the Author Spotlight – Rebecca Hahn, MD, FASE, shares her insights in this brief interview with Dr. Sorrell on her perspective about the new ASE guideline, Recommended Standards for the Performance of Transesophageal Echocardiographic Screening for Structural Heart Intervention.

Don’t Forget to Renew Your Membership for 2022

We appreciate you choosing ASE as your professional home. ASE strives to provide you with valuable benefits that are designed to aid you in your efforts to provide excellence in patient care and save you time and money. If you have not done so already, we hope you will renew your membership today for 2022 for guaranteed continued access in 2022 to JASE, CASE, free CME, and all your other membership benefits. Renew by December 31, and receive a 2022 ASE Image Calendar.
ASE is also pleased to offer the option for organizations to make one payment for ASE memberships for their entire team. Join or renew your ASE memberships for your whole lab with one form and one payment! Fill out this application form, and we will send you an invoice. For more information, please contact Suzanne Morris, Director of Volunteer Activities.

Register for Two Live Webinars on ASE’s Newest Guideline

Join lead author, Rebecca T. Hahn, MD, FASE, and register today to join us for TWO webinars on the recently published ASE guideline, Recommended Standards for the Performance of Transesophageal Echocardiographic Screening for Structural Heart Intervention. The guideline is intended for the Level II or III echocardiographer whose pre-procedural imaging becomes the backbone of structural heart disease (SHD) procedural planning for the heart team. The structured imaging acquisition protocols and extensive figures and tables show examples of the protocols and should benefit all echocardiographers involved in the care of SHD patients.

Part 1: Introduction to the Guidelines and Review of Aortic and Mitral Imaging

December 15, 2021| 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET

Earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Part 2: Guidelines and Review of Tricuspid and Interatrial Septum/LAA Imaging Protocols

December 17, 2021 | 2:30 – 3:30 PM ET

Earn 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

Registration is FREE for ASE members, so be sure to log in to the ASE Member Portal to receive member pricing and review the learning objectives prior to the sessions.

Want to hear more about this guideline? Listen to CASE Editor-in-Chief, Vincent Sorrell, MD, FASE, discuss the guideline with Dr. Hahn in this month’s CASE Author Spotlight.

Complete ASE 2021 Trends Survey for a Chance to Win $100

As a valued member of ASE, your input is important to us. If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to complete ASE’s 2021 Trends Survey. Survey questions cover topics including practice management, general equipment and workflow issues, specialized areas of practice, and new and emerging technologies and applications. Your participation in the survey is vital in helping ASE advance our mission to improve the practice of cardiovascular ultrasound for better patient outcomes.

As a thank you for completing the survey, we are offering participants a chance to win one of two $100 VISA gift cards. If you would like to be entered into the drawing, please provide your name and email at the end of the survey. We also encourage you to forward the survey link to other professionals in the echo community of ASE and/or post the survey link on any non-ASE medical forums.

Share Your Love For ASE This Holiday Season!

Show your friends and colleagues that you value their contribution to the cardiovascular ultrasound profession by giving them the gift of ASE membership.

Top 5 Reasons to Give ASE Membership:
5. They will receive free learning opportunities which are also CME/MOC credits.
4. They will get immediate access to the latest cardiovascular ultrasound news, guidelines, and research, including Echo Headlines four days a week!
3. They will have ample opportunities for leadership and professional development.
2. They can easily connect and network with other echo-enthusiasts from across the globe.
1. It’s the gift that keeps giving, 365 days a year!

Call 919-297-7172 or email Suzanne Morris at SMorris@ASEcho.org  to purchase memberships for others! Remember if you gift five new memberships, YOU get a free membership in 2023! This is also a great way to use any leftover money you might have in your budget for 2021. We will notify the gift recipients of this special gift by email and would be happy to customize the message on your behalf.

Please contact us by December 21st to be sure your gift memberships are processed and your colleagues are notified before the holiday.