Successful Surgical Treatment of Heart Failure and Ventricular Tachycardia in a Patient With Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia With Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

A 70-year-old male patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy demonstrating frequent attacks of ventricular tachycardia (VT) as well as heart failure underwent surgical treatment. Although the patient had severe regurgitation at the mitral and tricuspid valves, the contractility of the right and left ventricles was almost maintained. Annuloplasty of both valves abolished the regurgitation and very effectively controlled heart failure. Surgical cryoablation was performed on the lesion showing the earliest potential before the ORS complex during VT and the arrhythmia was terminated. However, a cardioverter defibrillator was implanted to prevent new VT caused by disease progression. (Circ J 2005; 69: 996 - 999)