Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) Ablation or Escalated Drug Therapy (VANISH)
Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Recurrent Ventricular Tachycardia focused on measuring Ventricular Tachycardia, Catheter Ablation, ICD therapy, Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy, Ischemic Heart Disease
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Prior Myocardial Infarction
- An implantable defibrillator
One of the following VT events (within the past 3 months):
- greater than or equal to 3 episodes of symptomatic VT treated with ATP
- greater than or equal to 1 appropriate ICD shock
- greater than or equal to 3 VT episodes within 24 hours
- sustained VT below detection rate of the ICD documented by ECG
"Failed" first-line antiarrhythmic drug therapy as defined by one of:
- Appropriate ICD therapy or sustained VT occurred while patient was taking amiodarone (stable dose >/= 2 weeks)
- Appropriate ICD therapy or sustained VT occurred on another antiarrhythmic drug (stable dose >/= 2 weeks)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Active ischemia (acute thrombus, dynamic ST elevation on ECG) or another reversible cause of VT (eg. electrolyte abnormalities, drug induced arrhythmia)
- Are known to be ineligible to take amiodarone (eg. active hepatitis, current hyperthyroidism, pulmonary fibrosis, known allergy)
- Are ineligible for ablation (left ventricular thrombus, implanted mechanical aortic and mitral valves)
- Renal Failure (creatinine clearance < 15 ml/min)
- Current NYHA functional class IV heart failure or CCS Functional Class IV angina
- Recent ST elevation myocardial infarction (< 1 month)
- Recent coronary bypass surgery (< 3 mon) or recent PCI (< 1 mon)
- Pregnant
- prior ablation for ventricular tachycardia
- A systemic illness likely to limit survival to < 1 year
- Unable or unwilling to provide informed consent
Sites / Locations
- QEII Health Sciences Centre
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Active Comparator
Active Comparator
Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation
Escalated Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy
Catheter ablation for Ventricular tachycardia will be performed within 14 days of randomization.
Patients are prescribed a loading dose of amiodarone or the addition of mexiletine to their current anti-arrhythmic medication which is stratified by the dose and type of antiarrhymic medication at the time of the index arrhythmic event.