Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia following myocardial infarction using three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping

Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2003 Jan;26(1P2):342-7. doi: 10.1046/j.1460-9592.2003.00046.x.

Abstract

One challenge encountered during catheter ablation of postinfarction ventricular tachycardia (VT) is the inducibility of multiple VT morphologies associated with variable hemodynamic instability. The clinical usefulness and safety of a three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping in guiding radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation of VT, used in parallel with a multichannel recording system, was studied in 28 men (mean age = 63.8 +/- 10.6 years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction = 28% +/- 9%). Three-dimensional voltage maps of the left ventricle were obtained in sinus rhythm with annotation of areas of fractionated or late potentials, zones of slow conduction and/or dense scar with no pacing capture at 10 mA. RF lesions were created either in sinus rhythm or during hemodynamically stable VT within reconstructed critical zones of the circuit. A total of 82 VTs were induced (mean = 2.9 +/- 1.0/patient). Hemodynamically unstable clinical VTs were induced in 5 patients, and clinical or nonclinical unstable VT in 14. Clinical VT was rendered noninducible in 24/28 (85.7%) patients, and monomorphic VT was eliminated in 16/28 (57.1%) patients. The mean procedural time was 258 +/- 82 minutes, and fluoroscopic exposure 13.5 +/- 8.8 minutes. During a mean follow-up period of 10.6 +/- 6.4 months, catheter ablation was repeated in 6 patients for VT recurrences. No significant complications occurred except for a transient cerebral ischemic attack in one patient. In conclusion, electroanatomical mapping assisted the successful and safe catheter ablation of both mappable and nonmappable VTs in a significant proportion of patients after myocardial infarction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catheter Ablation / methods*
  • Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / complications*
  • Recurrence
  • Reoperation
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / etiology
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / surgery*