[Fulguration and radiofrequency in ventricular tachycardia]

Eighty-nine cases of ventricular tachycardia, resistant to antiarrhythmic therapy, were treated over a 10 year period by high energy D ablation (fulguration). This series included 37 cases of myocardial infarction with a mean ejection fraction of 30%. The mean follow-up period of the survivors was 61 months and clinical efficacy was 87.9%. Twenty-three cases of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, aged 40 years, and with an ejection fraction of 57%, followed up for 71 months, had a clinical efficacy of 83%. Twelve patients had verapamil sensitive (fascicular) ventricular tachycardia. Their age was 30, their ejection fraction 65%, the follow-up period 55 months, and the clinical efficacy was 100%. Ten patients had primary dilated cardiomyopathy. Their age was 35, their ejection fraction 23%, the follow-up period of 38 months with a clinical efficacy of 80%. Four patients, aged 21, had operated congenital heart disease with an ejection fraction of 60%, a follow-up of 36 months and a clinical efficacy of 100%. Finally, 3 patients had idiopathic infundibular ventricular tachycardia. Their age was 36, the ejection fraction 62%, the follow-up period was 72 months and the clinical efficacy was 67%. Non lethal complications were observed in 16% of cases, mainly haemopericardium requiring pericardocentesis in 4.5% of cases. The operative mortality and in the month following ablation was 9.2%, observed mainly during the learning period. These results show that fulguration is not without risk, but in skilled hands, it gives remarkable results in the majority of cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)