Electrophysiologic management of recurrent ventricular tachycardia in acute and chronic ischemic heart disease.

The refinement of the techniques of programmed stimulation and intracardiac recording has provided an understanding of the mechanism of ventricular tachycardia which can be applied clinically to the development of therapeutic regimens. The efficacy of drug therapy can be assessed by sequential studies evaluating the ability of drugs to prevent the initiation of the arrhythmia. The efficacy of pacemaker therapy can be evaluated by the effects of stimulation during the tachycardia. The recent development of endocardial mapping provides the surgeon with a tool to guide therapeutic surgical ablation. We believe that such an electrophysiologic approach to recurrent ventricular tachycardia can lead to the rapid development of successful therapy under controlled conditions.