Abstract 15656: Early Recurrence of Ventricular Tachycardia and the Impact of Radiofrequency Ablation on Success of ICD Therapy

Abstract

The early success of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and impact on ICD delivered therapy (including the need for antitachycardia pacing (ATP) or ICD shock) after the procedure, due to recurrent VT events, is still not clear. Hypothesis: Recurrences of VT during 12 months of follow up (FU) after RFA are associated with the need for ICD therapy (successful ATP or need for ICD shock) and related to pre-procedural ATP success or failure. Methods: We analyzed the data of 141 ventricular arrhythmia patients who underwent RFA during 2019 - 2022 by identifying 54 (38.3%) patients with monomorphic VT and implanted ICDs. Age - 69.54±10.04 years , 52 (96.3%) males, BMI - 29.1±6.2; 27 (50.0%) patients - ICM; 51 (94.4%) used antiarrhythmics and 40 (82.1%) have failed; beta-blockers use - 47 (87.0%). 20 (37.0%) had an ICD for primary prevention. LVEF - 39.2±13.8%, VT cycle - 350±80 ms. VT storm - in 46 (85.2%). Results: Out of 54 included patients, only 34 (63%) had no recurrent VT events during FU post-RFA procedure. 20 (37.0%) experienced recurrent VT events and needed ICD therapy: 8 (40.0%) responded to ATP, whereas 12 (60.0%) failed ATP and required an ICD shock. Patients’ response to ICD delivered therapy was compared between two groups of patients: 1) pre-ablation ATP failure (n=40) and 2) pre-ablation ATP success (n=14). In pre-ablation ATP failure group, 23 (57.5%) patients had no recurrent VT events, 5 (12.5%) successfully responded to ATP and 11 (27.5%) failed ATP requiring ICD shock. In the pre-ablation ATP success group, 9 (64.5%) patients had no recurrent VT, 3 (21.4%) responded to ATP, and only 1 (7.14%) required ICD shock and no VT storm episodes, whereas 12 (30%) of patients with pre-procedural ATP failure had VT storm (IQR= 0.0, 0.0, vs 1.0, 5.0 respectively; p=0.019). Patients with recurrent VT events had higher BMI then patients with no recurrent VT: 32.9±5.4 vs 28.0±6.0, p< 0.033. The pre-ablation ATP failure group had a greater proportion of hemodynamically unstable VT induced during RFA (56.7% vs 23.1%; p=0.043). Conclusion: The success of ATP after RFA was associated with pre-procedural ATP response and patients with lower BMI had less recurrent VT events. Overall, pre-ablation ATP failure for VT termination may identify patients with increased risk of failure to ATP therapy.