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INTRODUCTION: When electrical storm (ES) is amenable to neither antiarrhythmic drugs, nor deep sedation or catheter ablation, autonomic modulation may be considered. We report our experience with percutaneous left stellate ganglion block (PSGB) to temporarily suppress refractory ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in patients with structural heart disease. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed at our institution of patients with structural heart disease and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) who had undergone PSGB for refractory VA between January 2018 and October 2021. The number of times antitachycardia pacing (ATP) was delivered and the number of ICD shocks/external cardioversions performed in the week before and after PSGB were evaluated. Charts were checked for potential complications. RESULTS: Twelve patients were identified who underwent a combined total of 15 PSGB and 5 surgical left cardiac sympathetic denervation procedures. Mean age was 73⯱ 5.8 years and all patients were male. Nine of 12 (75%) had ischaemic cardiomyopathy, with the remainder having non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 35% (±â¯12.2%). Eight of 12 (66.7%) patients were already being treated with both amiodarone and beta-blockers. The reduction in ATP did not reach statistical significance (pâ¯= 0.066); however, ICD shocks (pâ¯= 0.028) and ATP/shocks combined were significantly reduced (pâ¯= 0.04). At our follow-up electrophysiology meetings PSGB was deemed ineffective in 4 of 12 patients (33%). Temporary anisocoria was seen in 2 of 12 (17%) patients, and temporary hypotension and hoarseness were reported in a single patient. DISCUSSION: In this limited series, PSGB showed promise as a method for temporarily stabilising refractory VA and ES in a cohort of male patients with structural heart disease. The side effects observed were mild and temporary.
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We tested the hypothesis that the selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (nor-BNI) improves recovery from myocardial stunning. Ten dogs were chronically instrumented for measurement of heart rate, left atrial, aortic and left ventricular pressure (LVP), and the maximum rate of LVP increase (LV dP/dt(max)) and decrease (LV dP/dt(max)), coronary blood flow velocity and myocardial wall-thickening fraction. Regional myocardial blood flow was determined with fluorescent microspheres. Catecholamine plasma levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and beta-endorphin and dynorphin plasma levels by radioimmunoassay. An occluder around the left anterior descending artery (LAD) allowed induction of a reversible LAD-ischemia. Animals underwent two experiments in a randomized crossover fashion on separate days: (a) 10 min LAD-occlusion (control experiment), (b) second ischemic episode 24 h after nor-BNI (2.5 mg/kg IV) (intervention). Dogs receiving nor-BNI showed an increase in wall-thickening fraction, LV dP/dt(max) and LV dP/dt(min) before ischemia and during the whole reperfusion (P < 0.05 versus control experiment). After nor-BNI pretreatment, dynorphin levels increased after induction of ischemia to a peak level of 15.1 +/- 3.6 pg/mL (P < 0.05 versus control experiment). The increase in plasma beta-endorphin during ischemia and early reperfusion was attenuated after nor-BNI. Compared with the control experiment, nor-BNI left global hemodynamics, regional myocardial blood flow, and catecholamine levels unchanged. In conclusion, nor-BNI improves recovery from myocardial stunning after regional myocardial ischemia in chronically instrumented dogs.
