Catheter-Based Cryoablation of Postinfarction and Idiopathic Ventricular Tachycardia: Initial Experience in a Selected Population

Carl Timmermans*, Randy Manusama, Becker S. N. Alzand, Luz-Maria Rodriguez

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Methods and Results: Catheter-based cryoablation was performed in 17 patients (15 men, 58 +/- 18 years). VT occurred after a prior myocardial infarction in 10 and was idiopathic in 7 patients. Cryoablation was performed with a 10-F, 6.5-mm tipped catheter. The ablation site was selected using entrainment mapping techniques for postinfarction VT. The site of the earliest activation time with optimal pace mapping was used for ablation of idiopathic VT. All targeted VTs (12 postinfarction and 7 idiopathic) were acute successfully ablated after a median number of 2 applications of 5 minutes with an average temperature of -82 +/- 4 degrees C. Mean procedure and fluoroscopy times were 204 +/- 52 and 52 +/- 20 minutes for postinfarction VT and 203 +/- 24 and 38 +/- 15 minutes for idiopathic VT. No cryocatheter or cryoenergy complications were observed. After a follow-up of 6 months, 4 of the 10 patients with postinfarction VT had a recurrence. In 1 of the 7 patients with idiopathic VT the index arrhythmia recurred. Conclusion: In this small patient population, catheter-based cryoablation of VT was safe and effective. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effect of cryothermy in a larger group of patients, especially those with postinfarction VT. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 255-261, March 2010).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)255-261
JournalJournal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology
Volume21
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2010

Keywords

  • cryocatheter ablation
  • myocardial infarction
  • idiopathic ventricular tachycardia
  • ventricular tachycardia

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