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Updated: Feb 28, 2026

Ablation of Ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia Using a Multipolar Catheter and 3-dimensional Mapping System for High-density Electro-anatomical Reconstruction
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Ablation of Ischemic Ventricular Tachycardia Using a Multipolar Catheter and 3-dimensional Mapping System for High-density Electro-anatomical Reconstruction

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Treatment of persistent ventricular tachycardia: Drugs or ablation?

Ciorsti J MacIntyre1, John L Sapp1

  • 1Dalhousie University, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Room 2501 F Halifax Infirmary, 1796 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 3A7.

Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine
|June 20, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) manage ventricular tachycardia (VT) but do not prevent recurrences. New strategies are needed to suppress VT, as current treatments like antiarrhythmic drugs and catheter ablation have limitations.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology

Background:

  • Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) effectively reduce mortality from ventricular tachycardia (VT) and can terminate episodes.
  • However, ICDs do not prevent recurrent VT episodes, necessitating further management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current strategies for suppressing recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with ICDs.
  • To evaluate the efficacy and limitations of antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) and catheter ablation for VT suppression.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on VT management in patients with ICDs.
  • Analysis of data regarding the effectiveness, recurrence rates, side effects, and procedural risks of AADs and catheter ablation.

Main Results:

  • AADs, while potentially safer with an ICD, are associated with high recurrence rates and side effects.
  • Catheter ablation offers an alternative or adjunctive approach but has incomplete efficacy and procedural risks.

Conclusions:

  • Current strategies for VT suppression, including AADs and catheter ablation, have significant limitations.
  • There is a need for improved therapies to effectively manage recurrent VT in patients with ICDs.

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