ablation hospitals and success for VT

[Jack160]

I am a 67 years old physically fit male (180 lbs.)  with normal heart and  low to normal blood pressure.  I exercise daily and have never had to take any type of medication.   Last July when taking a stress test, I found out that I have VT which occurs only when exercising (tennis, treadmill etc).  I had an EP study but doctor was unable to induce condition needed for ablation.  I now have an ICD.  I am on a channel blocker but continue to have VT episodes.
I would like to have my heart ablazed, if possible.

Question:  What is the chance of inducing the condition needed for ablation with my type of VT?
Question:  Who has had the best results in doing so?  I live in Florida but would be willing to travel.

[claytex]

Dear Jack:  You might check out Austin Heart Hospital in Austin Texas.  They have a very good record in this part of the country... I think they have some really good EPs.. they corrected my AF with medication....The guys who started it came from Cleveland Clinic l5-16 years ago i think.. may have been mayo clinic but I really think Cleveland clinic... I really hear lots of good things about them... especially ablations.. hope  this helps Claytex

[itdood]

You can find the right doctor with some effort.  Google will be a good resource.

I once had access to inpatient data sets with outcomes when I worked in  epidemiology.  I have a lot of background in statistical analysis relating diagnostic codes to doctors and to outcomes+procedures to establish clinical pathways.

I called this skill into action on a personal level when my mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  I did a clinical pathway search to find her the best brain surgeon in the country, back before the Internet took off.  In other words, I searched out all the doctors in the country who worked with her diagnostic code, then I limited the data to patients with the best outcomes.  Then I identified the best procedure.  Then I did a cross tabulation to see which doctors had the highest volumes and the best outcomes for the best procedure.  I found a brain surgeon who worked at the university of Pennsylvania.  Well duh!   moral of the story, start your search with hospitals that have the best reputations (which are usually teaching hospitals).   The only negative is that you'll have students being trained and some may actually do parts of the procedure.  As long as the experienced practitioner does the important parts you are in good hands.   (BTW, my Mom did great and is tumor free for 16 years now)

Another trait I look for, if the doc has been doing this work for 20+ years, he/she must be doing something right if they've been able to hang in there that long.

I'd start my search with the Cleveland clinic, Univ of Penn, Deborah heart and lung in NJ.

VT is usually ablatable in a structurally normal heart.

Good luck.

[Mom2four85]

welcome jack I live in FL also and went to Pepin Heart Center in Tampa; Dr. Kenneth Yamamura's office (Interventional Cardiac Consultants) were great when I had mine done.  He did my RF ablation as well as my tilt table test and EP study, his partner put in my PM/ICD.

I've also seen doctors at USF and Florida Medical clinic (a few locations) and they were good also, just did not click with some of the physician's and their philosophy of care.

Im just the opposite of you though, it didn't take much for me to go into sustained VT, but every person is so uniquely different, only a specialist would be able to answer your questions I think.

There is Mayo Clinic in JX I believe, you may want to call them and see if you can an appt with them, they were my first choice, but my Ins didn't cover it as in network.

Good luck, hope that helps some