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Photoablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias

Past Results and Future Applications to Ventricular and Other Arrhythmias

  • Chapter
Progress in Catheter Ablation

Part of the book series: Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine ((DICM,volume 241))

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Abstract

Ablation of cardiac arrhythmias began originally as a joint venture between cardiac surgeons and electrophysiologists. The demise of electrophysiologic surgery for arrhythmias associated with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, AV nodal re-entry, atrial flutter, and for the creation of AV block began with DC shock ablation and reached its peak with radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation. In contrast, the demise of primary surgery for post-infarction ventricular tachycardia (PIVT) was not the result of catheter ablation techniques, but the development and widespread use of implantable devices. The mortality, morbidity and recurrence rates following PIVT surgery, while improving over time, could not compete with the extremely low morbidity and mortality associated with AICD implants, particularly the newer systems who’s implantations are not dissimilar from a pacemaker implant. Furthermore, with the availability of current devices, it is difficult to accept even a low, but potentially fatal recurrence rate following PIVT surgery, while an AICD could guarantee survival.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Carolinas Heart Institute, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

    Robert H. Svenson, Robert Splinter, Laszlo Littmann & George P. Tatsis

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  1. Robert H. Svenson
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  2. Robert Splinter
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  3. Laszlo Littmann
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  4. George P. Tatsis
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

    Liong Bing Liem (Associate Professor of Medicine, Director) (Associate Professor of Medicine, Director)

  2. Experimental Cardiac Electrophysiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California, USA

    Liong Bing Liem (Associate Professor of Medicine, Director) (Associate Professor of Medicine, Director)

  3. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Eugene Downar (Professor of Medicine, Director) (Professor of Medicine, Director)

  4. Invasive Cardiac Electrophysiology, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Eugene Downar (Professor of Medicine, Director) (Professor of Medicine, Director)

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© 2001 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Svenson, R.H., Splinter, R., Littmann, L., Tatsis, G.P. (2001). Photoablation of Ventricular Arrhythmias. In: Liem, L.B., Downar, E. (eds) Progress in Catheter Ablation. Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol 241. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9791-3_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9791-3_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5882-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-015-9791-3

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