[Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia : What have we achieved?]

The role of catheter ablation in patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) has evolved over the last two decades into an established treatment option. In patients with idiopathic VT catheter ablation is the gold standard treatment option with high effectiveness and low risk of complications. Due to the high risk of side effects the use of antiarrhythmic drugs is only indicated in exceptional cases. In patients with structural heart diseases, such as ischemic and dilated cardiomyopathy, VT is the most frequent cause of death. Furthermore, recurrent shocks from implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) are one of the main reasons for the high morbidity and mortality; however, in these patients a complex myocardial substrate is present and consequently there is a relevant risk of recurrence after VT ablation. A periprocedural mortality of approximately 3% must be considered in these often severely ill patients. Nevertheless, there is no reasonable alternative to catheter ablation, particularly in patients who continue to have VT episodes even under therapy with amiodarone. Questions with respect to the optimal procedural technique for VT ablation, the endpoint and optimal timing of ablation need to be clarified in clinical trials.