A stepwise approach using catheter ablation as first-line treatment for postinfarct ventricular tachycardia achieved 88.9% acute success, with 31.1% all-cause mortality over a median 4.5 years.
Cohort (n=45)
No
Does a stepwise approach using catheter ablation as first-line treatment for postinfarct ventricular tachycardia provide a viable management strategy?
A stepwise approach using catheter ablation as first-line therapy for postinfarct ventricular tachycardia, reserving ICDs for specific criteria, may be a reasonable alternative to routine upfront ICD implantation.
BACKGROUND: The occurrence of ventricular tachycardia (VT) after myocardial infarction is associated with poorer prognosis. In such patients, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are recommended. Catheter ablation of VT is currently recommended only as an adjunctive therapy. Whether a successful VT ablation alone might be a viable strategy in some of these patients, however, remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to evaluate this strategy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Between January 2002 and December 2011, 189 patients with cardiomyopathy underwent 259 VT ablations in our center. Forty-five patients (mean age, 65.2±9.6 years; 91% men) with a history of myocardial infarction and mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 39.7±9.7% matched the study criteria and were included in this analysis. Acute success was obtained in 40 of 45 patients (88.9%). During a follow-up, on the basis of our stepwise algorithm (using acute success, repeat electrophysiological study, and recurrence of VT), 19 of 45 patients (42.2%) underwent implantable cardioverter-defibrillators implantation. During a median follow-up of 4.5 (interquartile range, 2.1-7.0) years, all-cause mortality occurred in 14 of 45 patients (31.1%). Using multivariate Cox regression analysis, age (hazard ratio, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.22; P=0.007) was the only independent predictor of mortality, whereas implantable cardioverter-defibrillators implantation was not (hazard ratio, 0.54; 95% confidence interval, 0.18-1.64; P=0.28) CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a stepwise approach to the management of VT with ablation as a first-line treatment in postinfarct patients presenting with VT might be a reasonable option. Further studies are required to confirm these results.
Pauriah et al. (Wed,) conducted a cohort in Postinfarct Ventricular Tachycardia (n=45). Catheter ablation as first-line treatment (stepwise approach) was evaluated on All-cause mortality. A stepwise approach using catheter ablation as first-line treatment for postinfarct ventricular tachycardia achieved 88.9% acute success, with 31.1% all-cause mortality over a median 4.5 years.