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Questions posted in the
Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Question Title: VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA/A FIBForum: The Heart Forum
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I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA IN NOVEMBER OF 1997 SO I WENT THROUGH THE ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDY W/ ABLATION IT DIDN'T WORK, SO I TRYED IT AGAIN AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK. LAST WEEK I HAD A WRELLY BAD EPISODE WITH MY ARRHYTHIMIA AND HAD TO DO AN EKG AND ON THIS ONE ATRIAL FIB SEEMED TO BE ON THE EKG ALONG WITH MY V-TACH, SO THE DR. PUT ME IN THE HOSPITAL TO TAKE A BLOOD THINNER THROUGH AN I. V. THEY LET ME GET OUT BUT I'M PRETTY SCARED I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IS IN STORE FOR ME COULD SOMEONE POSSIBLY OFFER SOME MORE ADVICE ON SOME OTHER OPTIONS?? I'M ONLY 19 YEARS OLD AND ALREADY HAVING THESE KIND OF PROBLEMS.. Dear Christie, Ventricular Tachycardia is a very serious disturbance of the rhythm of the main pumping chambers of the heart, the ventricles. Untreated, it can be fatal, typically by degenerating into an even more serious rhythm known as ventricular fibrillation. It's unusual for young people to develop this arrhythmia, and many who do have structural heart disease such as congenital disorders. Others have advanced forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disorganization and thickening of the heart muscle that can predispose to arrhythmia. Also possible are diseases such as WPW, where an accessory bypass tract can cause arrythmias. Finally, relatively rare disorders such as ARVD can cause ventricular tachyarrhythmias, as can specific subtypes of ventricular tachycardia such as bundle branch reentry tachycardia. It is critical that you be evaluated by an experienced electrophysiologist at a large university or academic medical center... an institution where this sort of problem is relatively frequently encountered. If you are already being seen at such a place, I recommend that you discuss the causes for your tachycardia with your electrophysiologist. We'd be happy to see you at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. An appointment with electrophysiologists such as Dr. Gregory Kidwell or Dr. Patrick Tchou can be arranged by calling Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and treatments are best reserved for your personal physician.
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