Catheter Ablation for Ventricular Arrhythmias
José Riera
DEFINITION
Ventricular Arrhythmias
Definition
When an abnormal heart rhythm comes from the lower chambers of your heart (the ventricles) it is called a ventricular arrhythmia. Rhythms of this type include ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF).
It is a type of energy that uses radiofrequency waves to produce heat and destroy the area of cardiac tissue that causes the arrhythmia.
Catheter ablation has emerged as an important and effective treatment option for many recurrent ventricular arrhythmias. It is a procedure where areas of the heart are electrically inactivated, or ablated, to resolve an abnormal heart rhythm.
Applications in medicine
Pros
Cons
Pros and Cons
- It provides improvement in the quality of life
- Offers an alternative therapy for preventing arrhythmias, and can be life-saving when frequent episodes (VT storm) threaten survival.
- Advances in catheter technology, imaging and mapping techniques have improved success rates for ablation.
Ablation close to a coronary artery poses a risk of acute coronary occlusion and should be avoided.
Patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction can have major haemodynamic consequences following prolonged procedures like this.
Issue applied in Ecuador
There are only a few health facilities in Ecuador that offer this procedure, however it has been possible to notice improvements in patients. In Guayaquil, the cost of a cardiac ablation goes around $ 30.000
In conclusion, Catheter ablation has emerged as a major tool for the non-pharmacological management of the vast majority of arrhythmias. The careful planning and knowledge of the various techniques, approach and management of complications are the key components of successful VT ablation.
Conclusion