METHODS FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND ABLATION TREATMENT OF VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA

摘要

A closed-heart method for treating ventricular tachycardia in a myocardialinfarct patient afflicted with ventricular tachy-cardia is disclosed.The method comprises, first, defining a thin layer ofspared myocardial tissue positioned between the myo-cardial infarct scar tissue and the inner surface of the myocardium (theendocardium) of the patient, and then ablating the thinlayer of spared myocardial tissue by a closed-heart procedure with an ablationcatheter. Apparatus for carrying out the method isalso disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for prognosing the likelihood ofventricular tachycardia occurring in a myocardial in-farct patient not previously diagnosed as afflicted with ventriculartachycardia. The method comprises detecting a thin layer ofspared myocardial tissue positioned between the myocardial infarct scar tissueand the inner surface of the myocardium (the en-docardium) in the patient.