Non-invasive Cardiac Radiation for Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia: a New Therapeutic Paradigm in Electrophysiology

Non-invasive ablation of cardiac tissue to control ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a novel therapeutic consideration in the management of ventricular arrhythmias associated with structural heart disease. The technique involves the use of stereotactic radiotherapy delivered to VT substrates. Although invasive mapping can be used to identify the target, the use of non-invasive ECG and imaging techniques combined with multi-electrode body-surface ECG recordings offers the potential of a completely non-invasive approach. Early case series have demonstrated a consistent decrease in VT burden and sufficient early safety to allow more detailed multicenter studies. Such studies are currently in progress to further evaluate this promising technology.