What Is Ventricular Tachycardia and Does Ablation Help?

Ventricular tachycardias (VTs) are rapid abnormal heart rhythms that originate from within the ventricles. VTs affect people differently, depending mainly on whether or not there are other related heart problems.

VTs in people with prior heart attacks or depressed heart function can result in the heart becoming unable to pump adequate blood through the body; this can lead to fainting and to life-threatening decompensation of the heart rhythm called cardiac arrest. Because medications cannot ensure complete suppression of these events, surgical placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is usually recommended. These devices continuously monitor the heart rhythm and immediately treat VT by either rapid pacing or internal shock. Once protected by the ICD, VT can be treated with antiarrhythmic medications and/or catheter ablation as needed.

VTs in people without any other heart condition are typically not life-threatening. They still can result in dizziness and fainting, but usually the rapid heart rate is well tolerated because the heart itself is healthy. VTs in normal hearts can be effectively managed with antiarrhythmic medications that suppress most of the events. Alternatively, catheter ablation can eliminate VTs by permanently modifying precise portions of the heart tissue that are necessary for the VTs. Find out more about VT ablation by watching the video at right.

California Pacific's Heart and Vascular Center

California Pacific's Heart and Vascular Center is supported by one of the best heart hospital/center networks in the USA, offering quality, comprehensive patient-centered cardiovascular care by a team of top heart surgeons and physicians with leading-edge technology. Serving the entire San Francisco Bay Area, including San Francisco and Marin County, as well as the entire Northern California region, our team has many of the best cardiovascular surgeons and physicians in California and the United States.
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