RADIOFREQUENCY CATHETER ABLATION OF THE SLOW REENTRANT PATHWAY OF SUSTAINED VENTRICULAR-TACHYCARDIA

The article reports the cases of two patients with severe coronary art ery disease and associated recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia successfully treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation. In the fi rst patient, two different types of ventricular tachycardia (one inces sant) were eliminated. In all procedures, an area of slow conduction c ritical for tachycardia maintenance was localized by endocardial mappi ng techniques. Radiofrequency energy delivered to this area could perm anently modify the anatomical substrate of the arrhythmia. After singl e follow-ups of 19, 14, and 13 months regarding the arrhythmic entitie s, the patients are well and free from spontaneous recurrences.