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Ventricular Tachycardia Center at BIDMC 

The VT Center is led by dedicated members of the Section of Electrophysiology to coordinate timely, safe, and effective treatment of ventricular tachycardia and other ventricular arrhythmias while driving to advance the field with clinical investigation. The VT Center faculty work to create an individualized treatment plan leveraging a multidisciplinary approach with the innovative and comprehensive resources available at BIDMC.

3D reconstructions of pre-procedure CT scans creates a "digital twin" of the heart to plan the VT ablation procedure
Advanced mapping techniques allows VT circuits to be predicted even in normal rhythm during VT ablations
Cardiac MRI integration into VT ablation focuses the mapping and ablation of scar tissue

Diagnostics

We offer a range of comprehensive services to prevent, reduce, or eliminate ventricular arrhythmias. 

Catheter Ablation

For many patients VT ablation is the best way to reduce the burden of symptoms, ICD shocks, hospitalizations, and medications. Ablation is a minimally invasive procedure under sedation or general anesthesia that uses catheters to make a three-dimensional electrical map of the heart to identify and eliminate the source of ventricular tachycardia. 

 

Cardiac Autonomics

Reducing the effect of adrenaline from the autonomic nervous system on the heart can help treat ventricular tachycardia. In collaboration with the Chronic Pain Anesthesia team at BIDMC we can perform temporary nerve blocks to treat VT in the hospital. In select patients, we collaborate with the Cardiac Surgery team to perform minimally invasive surgery to remove some of the sympathetic nerves to the heart for a more durable treatment.

 

Noninvasive Management

Some patients with VT, despite medical or procedural treatments, are candidates for investigational uses of noninvasive radiation therapy targeted to the source of VT in the heart. This treatment is offered in close collaboration with our colleagues in the Department of Radiation Oncology.