Elsevier

American Heart Journal

Volume 124, Issue 6, December 1992, Pages 1512-1516
American Heart Journal

Reversibility of left ventricular dysfunction after successful catheter ablation of supraventricular reentrant tachycardia

https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-8703(92)90065-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Fourteen patients (mean age, 48 ± 19 years) with left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of underlying organic heart disease underwent catheter ablation (nine with direct-current energy and five with radiofrequency energy) to treat drug-refractory, symptomatic supraventricular reentrant tachycardia (mean duration of tachycardia, 22 ± 17 years). Clinical tachycardias were accessory pathway-mediated tachyarrhythmia (12 patients) and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (two patients). Changes of ventricular function after successful ablation, as assessed by radionuclide ventriculography and echocardiography, showed a decrease in left ventricular end-systolic dimension (39 ± 6 mm to 34 ± 6 mm; 32 ± 6 mm; p < 0.05) and in left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (55 ± 5 mm to 52 ± 3 mm; 51 ± 3 mm;p < 0.05) in the early (2 to 3 months) and late (6 to 8 months) follow-up periods, increase of nuclear ejection fraction (38% ± 8% to 46% ± 7%;p < 0.05) and fractional shortening (28% ± 7% to 36% ± 8%;p < 0.05) in the late follow-up period. Increase of fractional shortening was mainly due to decrease in the end-systolic dimension. These findings suggest that prolonged attacks of uncontrolled supraventricular tachycardia may result in left ventricular dysfunction, which is reversible after successful catheter ablation of the arrhythmias.

Cited by (21)

  • Supraventricular tachycardias: Evaluation and therapeutic approach

    2014, Tachycardia: Risk Factors, Causes and Treatment Options
  • Supraventricular tachycardia

    2009, Medical Journal of Australia
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text