Successful bipolar ablation for ventricular tachycardia with potential substrate identification by pre-procedural cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Recommendations for the use of electrophysiological study: Update 2018

The field of cardiac electrophysiology has greatly developed during the past decades. Consequently, the use of electrophysiological studies (EPSs) in clinical practice has also significantly augmented, with a progressively increasing number of certified electrophysiology centers and specialists. Since Zipes et al published the Guidelines for Clinical Intracardiac Electrophysiology and Catheter Ablation Procedures in 1995, no official document summarizing current EPS indications has been published. The current paper focuses on summarizing all relevant data of the role of EPS in patients with different types of cardiac pathologies and provides up-to-date recommendations on this topic. For this purpose, the PubMed database was screened for relevant articles in English up to December 2018 and ESC and ACC/AHA Clinical Practice Guidelines, and EHRA/HRS/APHRS position statements related to the current topic were analyzed. Current recommendations for the use of EPS in clinical practice are discussed and presented in 17 distinct cardiac pathologies. A short rationale, evidence, and indications are provided for each cardiac disease/group of diseases. In conclusion, because of its capability to establish a diagnosis in patients with a variety of cardiac pathologies, the EPS remains a useful tool in the evaluation of patients with cardiac arrhythmias and conduction disorders and is capable of establishing indications for cardiac device implantation and guide catheter ablation procedures.

Novel approaches for the treatment of ventricular tachycardia

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a crucial cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and a primary cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with structural cardiac disease. VT includes clinical disorders varying from benign to life-threatening. Most life-threatening episodes are correlated with coronary artery disease, but the risk of SCD varies in certain populations, with various underlying heart conditions, specific family history, and genetic variants. The targets of VT management are symptom alleviation, improved quality of life, reduced implantable cardioverter defibrillator shocks, prevention of reduction of left ventricular function, reduced risk of SCD, and improved overall survival. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy and endocardial catheter ablation remains the cornerstone of guideline-endorsed VT treatment strategies in patients with structural cardiac abnormalities. Novel strategies such as epicardial ablation, surgical cryoablation, transcoronary alcohol ablation, pre-procedural imaging, and stereotactic ablative radiotherapy are an appealing area of research. In this review, we gathered all recent advances in innovative therapies as well as experimental evidence focusing on different aspects of VT treatment that could be significant for future favorable clinical applications.