Overview
Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) is an arrhythmia involving the bottom chamber(s) of the heart and leads to a heart rate that is too fast. VT can occur due to multiple causes including but not limited to coronary artery disease, heart failure due to other causes, genetic causes, drugs, caffeine, alcohol, and thyroid problems. Depending on the cause, VT can be life-threatening.
What are the symptoms of VT?
The symptoms of VT may include chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, and fainting. Depending on the cause, VT can result in sudden cardiac death.
How is VT diagnosed?
VT is diagnosed based on the history, physical exam, ECG/EKG, and the results of heart monitoring.
How is VT treated?
VT can be treated using medications (including anti-arrhythmic medicines) and/or catheter ablation. Depending on the type of VT, implantation of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator may be required. An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator is a device that is implanted within the heart and has the ability to treat and shock dangerous heart rhythms (like ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation) to help restore a normal rhythm. In some cases, VT can be curable with catheter ablation and in other cases, catheter ablation may not fully cure the VT but can decrease the burden of it.
Contact Us
To make an appointment with our Hannibal Regional cardiac electrophysiologist, please call (573) 629-3500.
Our Cardiac Electrophysiologist
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