Questions posted in the Heart Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Subject: Re: non-sustained ventricular tachycardia
Forum: The Heart Forum
Topic Area: Tachycardia
Posted by CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on March 01, 1999 at 17:32:25:
In Reply to: non-sustained ventricular tachycardia posted by Katia Alvim, M.D. on March 01, 1999 at 16:55:20:


Dear Colleagues;
I am a Brazilian Anesthesiologist whose father, a doctor also, has undergone heart surgery at Cleveland Clinic 11 years ago ( partial ventriculectomy with teflon patch, due to a left ventricular aneurysm after the occlusion of the anterior descendent coronary artery).
He underwent an urgent bypass surgery three months ago, in Sao Paulo ( Hospital do Coracao), because it was found that his right descendent coronary artery was 80% occluded during a CAT to perform an electrophysiological study of his non-sustained ventricular tachycardia episodes.
He is now recovering well, but the issue of the ventricular tachycardia remains: some colleagues insist he undergo electrophysiological study again, others ( including his surgeon) want him not to perform any invasive procedure, rather mantaining the episodes of ventricular tachycardia controlled with antiarrytimic drugs.
My request is, can you provide us with up-to-date literature and comments about the treatment of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia?
We would be very grateful. Thanks!
Katia Alvim, M.D.


Dear Dr. Alvim

The consensus of American electrophysiologists would be that he should undergo an electrophysiological (EP) study. If the EP study is negative, no further action is necessary. If it is positive, implantation of an ICD via a non-thoracotomy approach would probably be recommended. While expensive, this approach would probably yield the highest survival rate.

I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck.

If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.

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