Role of implantable pacemakers in control of recurrent ventricular tachycardia

Implanted pacemakers can provide a viable alternative to pharmacologic therapy or surgical management of patients with recurrent ventricular tachycardia. An increasing variety of pacemaker techniques are proving useful for preventing, controlling the effective rate of or terminating ventricular tachycardia. To assess the role of permanent pacing in the treatment of ventricular tachycardia, a consecutive series of 160 patients undergoing electrophysiologic testing for recurrent ventricular tachycardia were analyzed. Thirty-nine patients received implantable pacemakers, of which 13 were intended for bursts of rapid ventricular pacing. No adverse responses were attributed to these burst pacemakers, but concern for possible acceleration of tachycardia and appropriate identification of the arrhythmia were among factors limiting more widespread use of antitachycardia pacing. Some of these limitations may be resolved with further advances in electrophysiologic understanding of arrhythmias combined with strides in medical electronics, which will permit the development of new generations of highly sophisticated antitachycardia pacemakers.