[Contemporary methods of treatment for ventricular arrhythmias]

Primary treatment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VTs) is performed in order to influence the outcome of the underlying cardiac disease. In the hierarchy of therapy of VTs, prevention of the arrhythmia by preventing formation (i.e, infarction) of destruction of the substrate by surgical or catheter ablation should be the highest goal. Termination of VTs by drugs or antitachycardia pacing or slowing of the arrhythmia to hemodynamic tolerance would be a second option, and rescue by cardioversion or defibrillation with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) should be the last goal. Despite the recognition that the goal should be to prevent the arrhythmia, ICDs have become the major form of therapy used.