Catheter ablation of tachycardias

Non-surgical electrode catheter ablation appears to be a useful technique for the treatment of selected patients with resistant supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias. Many problems remain, including the need for improved methods of tachycardia localization, the need for permanent pacing with A-V junctional ablation, a variety of potential and demonstrated complications, and the need for specially designed equipment. The relative role of electrical ablation versus other new techniques such as those employing lasers, remains unsettled. The clearly demonstrated benefits of electrical ablation in a growing number of patients ensures that continued development and refinement will occur.