Catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia in structural heart disease

The management of ventricular tachyarrhythmias has changed significantly over the past several decades. The advent of readily available implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) has had the greatest effect, with important mortality effects in patients with ventricular tachycardia and structural heart disease. ICDs have been shown to reduce sudden death in patients with ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathies; evidence of adverse consequences of ICD shocks, however, is mounting. In addition to the negative effects on patient-reported quality of life, anxiety, and depression, frequent ventricular arrhythmias and ICD shocks have also been associated with increased mortality. It is therefore important to identify and implement effective ventricular tachycardia-suppressive strategies. Antiarrhythmic drugs represent one such method, but are challenged by unfavourable side effect profiles and proarrhythmic risk. Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia is now a well-accepted intervention, which has been demonstrated to reduce recurrent arrhythmias. Questions persist regarding the optimal role for ablation compared with drug therapy.