Surgical treatment of paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia (personal observations)

Five patients with recurrent VT/VF resistant to medical treatment were successfully treated surgically. In 3 patients excision of the altered endocardium by Harken's method (endocardial peeling) was done; in 2 of the patients it was preceded by intraoperative electrophysiological study. Two other patients were treated alternatively: a 45-year old patients with post-MI cardiomyopathy had a cardiac transplantation and a 57-year old patient with good left ventricular function an implantation of a automatic cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD). No patient had VT and/or VF during the 14-35 month follow-up. Exercise tolerance improved in all patients. Good short- and longterm results of surgical treatment show that these methods can be effective in treating patients with life-threatening arrhythmias resistant to pharmacological therapy.