Surgical treatment of ventricular tachycardia after epicardial mapping studies

Br Heart J. 1975 Feb;37(2):115-26. doi: 10.1136/hrt.37.2.115.

Abstract

Two patients with intractable life-threatening ventricular tachycardias have been studied using intracardiac electrograms and programmed electrical stimulation of the heart. Both patients have shown to have an underlying re-entry mechanism in the ventricles as the basis for the tachycardias. Both patients underwent epicardial mapping studies at cardiac surgery, and the site of re-entry was established. In one patient the re-entry front was found to start in the posterobasal region of the left ventricle and in the other patient the re-entry front was found in the anterobasal region of the right ventricle. In both patients surgical interruption of the re-entry front was carried out. Both patients are alive and free from tachycardias at the time of writing.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bundle of His / physiopathology
  • Electric Stimulation
  • Electrocardiography
  • Electrophysiology
  • Heart Function Tests
  • Heart Ventricles / physiopathology
  • Heart Ventricles / surgery
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / complications
  • Tachycardia / complications
  • Tachycardia / physiopathology
  • Tachycardia / surgery*
  • Tachycardia / therapy
  • Ventricular Fibrillation / complications