[Blockade of the left stellate ganglion using a drug reservoir pump. A new treatment method in the QT syndrome].

In patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) the therapy of first choice is the administration of propranolol (2-4 mg/kg of body weight daily). If not effective alone, a combination of propranolol and phenytoin (200 mg daily) has proved to be effective. Nevertheless, in about 7% of cases medical therapy failed to prevent serious arrhythmic events. A 28-year-old woman suffered tachyarrhythmic episodes despite medical treatment. After additional pharmacological blockade of the left stellate ganglion, using an implantable pump catheter system (Secor) a stable heart rhythm could be achieved. No more syncopes were reported in this patient. In the case of failing medical therapy, the implantation of a pump catheter system could be an alternative method to surgical left ganglion stellectomy.