Evaluation of the Abdominal Aorta and the Renal Arteries with an Intracardiac Echocardiography Probe Placed in the Inferior Vena Cava: A Feasibility Study

High-resolution images of the abdominal aorta from the diaphragm to its bifurcation were easily obtained in all patients. These images allowed for the evaluation of arterial size, shape, and blood flow. Both renal arteries were easily visualized in each patient. With the probe in the inferior vena cava, both renal arteries were parallel to the imaging plane and, therefore, accurate measurement of renal blood flow velocity and individual renal blood flow were measured.