| Abstract
| - Drug resistant, non-ischemic ventricular tachycardia (VT) was treated in43 patients by direct surgery based on electrophysiological data. Two mainsurgical techniques were employed: myocardium was resected followed bycryocoagulation with a special probe in 23 patients with VT originatingfrom the right ventricle. The myocardium was incised followed bycryocoagulation in 10 patients with VT from the left ventricle. Thefollow-up period ranged from 1 week to 10 years, 4 weeks (mean 3 years, 8months). After operation, 36 patients (83%) showed complete disappearanceof VT without antiarrhythmic therapy. Of these 2 patients died ofcongestive heart failure not related to VT in the postoperative period at 1year 4 months, and 2 years 4 months, respectively. In 7 patients, VTremained. In 2, VT disappeared after catheter ablation. In 3 patients, VTbecame controllable with antiarrhythmic therapy. Operation was notsuccessful in 2 patients (5%); 1 with a giant left ventricular aneurysmdied of low cardiac output syndrome due to VT 1 week after operation; theother with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia originating from bothventricles died suddenly 5 months after operation. The 10-year survival is89%, and the 10-year freedom from recurrent VT is 83%. These resultsindicate that surgical management for non-ischemic VT is safe and effectivewith a high chance of cure.
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