Ventricular Tachycardia in the Era of Ventricular Assist Devices

Ventricular Tachycardia in the Era of Ventricular Assist Devices.  Sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with advanced cardiomyopathy is a potentially life-threatening arrhythmia. Newer treatment strategies have evolved that combine the use of catheter ablation to target the substrate for VT and ventricular assist devices (VADs) to hemodynamically support the failing ventricle. This editorial is targeted to the practicing clinician caring for these difficult patients. The current article reviews the use of percutaneous VADs to support catheter ablation of VT, the use of durable VADs to support the failing heart in patients with recurrent VT, ventricular arrhythmias in patients with durable VADs, and the use of catheter ablation to treat VT in patients with durable VADs. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 359-363, March 2011)