Diagnosis and cure of supraventricular tachycardia

Abstract

The seminal work of Dr Mel Scheinman marked the onset of the era of catheter ablation, a major advance in the management of patients with various arrhythmias.1 In the early 1980s, direct current (DC) shocks were initially used to create third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block in patients with atrial fibrillation and an uncontrolled ventricular rate or drug-refractory AV nodal reentrant tachycardia associated with severe symptoms. Targets for DC ablation gradually expanded to include posteroseptal accessory pathways (APs) and ventricular tachycardia, both idiopathic and postinfarction.