The use of nonfluoroscopic catheter-based mapping system to perform radiofrequency ablation in complex ventricular tachycardia after cardiac surgery in congenital heart disease: a case report.

A nonfluoroscopic electroanatomical cardiac mapping system (CARTO) integrates anatomical and electrophysiological information to reconstruct a three-dimensional activation map. Information from the CARTO system helps to reveal the mechanism and perform successful ablation in scar re-entry ventricular tachycardia after cardiac surgery. Three-dimensional activation and propagation mapping was performed in a patient with ventricular tachycardia after surgical correction of a double outlet right ventricle. The ventricular tachycardia appeared in two morphologies and were refractory to antiarrhythmic medication including amiodarone. Both ventricular tachycardias were re-entered using the ventriculotomy scar but rotated in different directions. Successful radiofrequency ablation was performed by creating a line of conduction block from the pulmonic valve to the ventriculotomy scar using entrainment mapping and the ablation lesion tagging technique. The CARTO system is useful in mapping and guiding the ablation of complex ventricular tachycardia after surgical correction in congenital heart disease

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in the young patients--Siriraj Hospital's experience.

The aim of this study was to follow-up immediate and long term results of patients aged less than 40 years with CAD treated by PTCA. Primary end points were to record major coronary events, incidence and timing of restenosis and requirement of repeated revascularization after initial PTCA. Data was collected retrospectively from records of patients aged less than 40 years who underwent PTCA from Jan 1996 to June 1998 in Her Majesty Cardiac Center, Siriraj Hospital. Patients were followed up and data was collected regarding recurrent angina, major coronary events and results of repeated coronary angiography and revascularization if available. Out of 830 procedures performed for 325 patients, 30 patients (9%) were less than 40 years of age and comprised of 26 males (87%) and 4 females (13%). Eighteen patients (60%) had more than one risk factor. The most important risk factor was smoking (60%) followed by dyslipidaemia (47%) and family history of coronary artery disease (20%). DM was strikingly uncommon. 14 patients had single vessel disease and 16 patients had multiple vessel disease. Initial stenosis was 87.5 +/- 9.8 and residual stenosis was 17.8 +/- 10.8. PTCA failed for 5 lesions, overall success rate was 89 per cent. Stent was used for 12 lesions in 10 patients. There was no major complication during the procedure. Minor complications included non occlusive dissection in four cases and groin haematoma in three cases. The follow up ranged from 7-36 months with the median of 23 months. During follow up, there was no major cardiac event such as death, acute MI, congestive heart failure or cerebero-vascular accident. Eleven patients (37%) had sustained improvement without recurrent angina. Recurrent angina occurred in 19 patients (63%) after initial PTCA and second/third recurrent angina occurred in 5 patients. On repeated coronary angiography angiographic restenosis was seen in 10 patients (33%) after initial PTCA. Overall repeated revascularization was done twenty times for sixteen patients which included 4 CABGs and 16 PTCA. Twenty one patients (70%) showed sustained improvement after repeated PTCA and medications. Follow up results of PTCA in young patients showed sustained improvement but achieved at high rate of repeated revascularization.