Pulsed-Field Ablation in Management of Ventricular Tachycardia: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Clinical Outcomes

Clin Cardiol. 2024 Oct;47(10):e70018. doi: 10.1002/clc.70018.

Abstract

Background: Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a cutting-edge technique that employs non-thermal energy to cause cell death by inducing irreversible electroporation of cell membranes. This systematic review evaluates the PFA effectiveness as a potential alternative to radiofrequency and cryo-ablation for treating ventricular tachycardia.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched using keywords related to ventricular tachycardia and pulsed-field ablation. Eligible Studies evaluating this therapeutic approach for ventricular tachycardia were included in the final analysis.

Results: We included six studies (five case reports and one case series) in our systematic review. Eight (88.8%) of procedures were successful with 100% long-term efficacy. No procedural complications or ventricular tachycardia (VT) recurrence were observed in the cases.

Conclusion: The absence of complications, high effectiveness, and long-term success rate make PFAs a good VT treatment option. However, PFA safety and efficacy studies for VT treatment are scarce. Thus, larger investigations on this topic are urgently needed.

Keywords: catheter ablation; pulsed‐field ablation; ventricular arrhythmia; ventricular tachycardia.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Case Reports as Topic
  • Catheter Ablation / adverse effects
  • Catheter Ablation / methods
  • Humans
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular* / physiopathology
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular* / surgery
  • Treatment Outcome