Sustained ventricular tachycardia following alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

Ron D B Simon1, Fred A Crawford, William H Spencer

  • 1Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.

Insights

A patient with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy experienced ventricular tachycardia after alcohol septal ablation. This rare complication, likely due to scar tissue, highlights the need for monitoring after the procedure.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Cardiac Surgery

Background:

  • Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a genetic heart condition.
  • Alcohol septal ablation is a treatment for HOCM to reduce the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.
  • Complications after septal ablation can occur, necessitating careful patient monitoring.

Observation:

  • A 49-year-old male with HOCM presented with sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (SMVT).
  • This occurred 8 days after undergoing alcohol septal ablation.
  • A dual-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) was implanted.

Findings:

  • The patient experienced another episode of ventricular tachycardia (VT) three weeks post-ICD implantation.
  • This subsequent VT episode was successfully terminated by an ICD shock.
  • The findings suggest scar-induced reentrant VT as a probable complication.

Implications:

  • This case highlights a rare but hypothesized complication of alcohol septal ablation.
  • Scar formation post-ablation may lead to ventricular arrhythmias.
  • Close follow-up and monitoring are crucial for patients undergoing alcohol septal ablation for HOCM.

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