British Heart Journal, I973, 35) II32-II35. Surgical treatment of recurrent ventricular tachycardia

In rare instances, recurrent ventricular tachycardia may continue in spite of all therapeutic measures, including combinations of antiarrhythmic agents in maximum doses. In these circumstances, sympathectomy was per-formed in 5 patients, 4 with ischaemic heart disease, in an attempt to control paroxysmal ventricular tachy-cardia which had repeatedly occurred for from 6 weeks to 24 months. Abolition of the abnormal veniricular activity was obtained in 2 patients who have remainedfreefrom arrhythmia for 2 to 8years. The operation had no effect on 2 patients, and only a temporary effect on one. In another I2 patients, a focal asynergic area (3 patients) or ventricular aneurysm (9 patients) was resected in order to control recurrent ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction. Abolition of the ventricular irritability was obtained in 7 patients, all remaining wellfrom I month to I years after the operation. Three patients died in the immediate postoperative period. A temporary effect was seen in 2 patients, ofwhom i was later reported to have died. Ventricular tachycardia is a serious arrhythmia and is a manifestation of underlying ischaemic heart disease, severe congestive heart failure, myocarditis, or drug intoxication. Antiarrhythmic drugs, elec-trical countershock, or rapid electrical pacing ar