Arrhythmias & electrophysiology
Efficacy and Safety of Stereotactic Radiotherapy in Patients With Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardias: The Czech Experience
Authors' conclusion
Although STAR may not be very effective in preventing VT recurrences after failed CA in an expert center, it can still modify the arrhythmogenic substrate, and when used with additional CA, reduce the number of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) after at least 1 failed catheter ablation, Czech Republic; Stereotactic arrhythmia radiotherapy (STAR) 25 GyEFFICACY cohort within SAFETY cohort
- Participants
- 17 vs 36
- Exposure
- STAR before vs after treatment
- EFFICACYn = 17
- SAFETYn = 36
- Outcome
- ICD direct current shocks, before vs after STAR (EFFICACY cohort)
Methodological details2 expert centres
- 2 expert centres
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Direct current shocks before vs after STAR, per month
1.9 ± 3.2 vs 0.1 ± 0.2
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Repeated catheter ablation (CA) for VT recurrence (EFFICACY cohort) · 13.7 ± 11.6 months
- Patients undergoing repeated CA for VT recurrence
- 8 (47%)
All-cause death (SAFETY cohort) · median follow-up 26.9 months
- Patients who died
- 18 (50%)
Safety
Progression of mitral valve regurgitation (SAFETY cohort) · median follow-up 33.5 months
- Progression of mitral regurgitation
- 8 (25%)
- Required intervention
- 3 (9%)
- 32 procedures, follow-up >6 months
Esophagitis and esophago-pericardial fistula (SAFETY cohort)
- Esophagitis
- 2 (6%)
- Death from esophago-pericardial fistula
- 1 (3%)
Original publication
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