Procedural and clinical outcomes after catheter ablation of unstable ventricular tachycardia supported by a percutaneous left ventricular assist device.

BACKGROUND

Hemodynamic support using percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (pLVADs) during catheter mapping and ablation of unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT) can provide effective end-organ perfusion. However, its effect on procedural and clinical outcomes remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively evaluate the procedural and clinical outcomes after the catheter ablation of unstable VT with and without pLVAD support.

METHODS

Sixty-eight consecutive unstable, scar-mediated endocardial and/or epicardial VT ablation procedures performed in 63 patients were evaluated. During VT mapping and ablation, hemodynamic support was provided by intravenous inotropes with a pLVAD (n = 34) or without a pLVAD (control; n = 34).

RESULTS

Baseline patient characteristics were similar. VT was sustained longer with a pLVAD (27.4 ± 18.7 minutes) than without a pLVAD (5.3 ± 3.6 minutes) (P < .001). A higher number of VTs were terminated during ablation with a pLVAD (1.2 ± 0.9 per procedure) than without a pLVAD (0.4 ± 0.6 per procedure) (P < .001). Total radiofrequency ablation time was shorter with a pLVAD (53 ± 30 minutes) than without a pLVAD (68 ± 33 minutes) (P = .022), but with similar procedural success rates (71% for both pLVAD and control groups; P = 1.000). Although during 19 ± 12 months of follow-up VT recurrence did not differ between pLVAD (26%) and control (41%) groups (P = .305), the composite end point of 30-day rehospitalization, redo-VT ablation, recurrent implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapies, and 3-month mortality was lower with a pLVAD (12%) than without a pLVAD (35%) (P = .043).

CONCLUSION

In this nonrandomized retrospective study, catheter ablation of unstable VT supported by a pLVAD was associated with shorter ablation times and reduced hospital length of stay. While pLVAD support did not affect VT recurrence, it was associated with a lower composite end point of 30-day rehospitalization, redo-VT ablation, recurrent implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapies, and 3-month mortality.