[Surgical treatment of ventricular tachycardia in patients with post-infarction aneurysms]

4 patients (P) with recurrent, sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) resistant to medical treatment, underwent surgery for cure of this arrhythmia. Each P had episodes of VT lasting 30 or more seconds, 3 of them had episodes of ventricular fibrillation. In all cases rhythm disturbances were secondary to post myocardial infarction aneurysm. Coronary angiography showed in all P total occlusion of LAD, in 2 cases significant lesion in RCA were found. 1 P had lung cancer. All P underwent aneurysmectomy and an excision of the altered endocardium by Harken's method. The endocardial excision was performed without endocardial mapping. 2 P had concomitant CABG to RCA. In the P with lung cancer lobectomy was performed. There were 2 ++non-arrhythmic death. The P with lung cancer died because of sepsis due to lung abscess. One P died because of heart failure (preoperative EF 10%), 6 months after the surgery. The 2 survivors remained free of VT during a follow-up period 8 months. In conclusion, endocardial excision by Harken's method is efficient in treating recurrent sustained VT, resistant to medical treatment, in patients with post myocardial infarction aneurysm. The surgical procedure can be performed without intraoperative endocardial mapping.