Incidence of Periaortic Sustained Ventricular Tachycardias Long After
Surgical Aortic Valve Replacements
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the incidence, risk factors and clinical
characteristics of periaortic VTs after AVR. Background: The periaortic
region is the origin of some ventricular tachycardias (VTs) after aortic
valve replacement (AVR). However, the clinical characteristics of
periaortic VTs after AVR are yet to be clarified. Methods: We
retrospectively analyzed clinical courses of 109 patients who had
undergone surgical AVR (SAVR) without other structural heart diseases
between April 2009 and Jun 2019 and evaluated the incidence and
characteristics of periaortic VTs after SAVR. Results: Three patients
(2.8%) developed periaortic VTs after SAVR. The average duration of
onset was 12.3±6.6 years. All VTs arose from the inferior axis; they
included both left and right bundle branch block configuration (LBBB and
RBBB). Two patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging; late
gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was observed in the mid-layer of the left
ventricle basal anteroseptal wall in both cases. Patients with
periaortic VTs had significantly wider interventricular septum, lower
left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), larger LV diameter at
systole, and higher positive rates of signal-averaged ECG and
non-sustained VTs on Holter. On ablation, local fragmented potentials
with low voltage zones were observed in accordance with the distribution
of LGE. Multiple VTs originating from the periaortic region were
provoked in the sessions. Conclusions: Periaortic VTs long after
surgical AVR are not rare, and arrhythmia risk stratification, including
that by signal averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG), Holter, and cardiac
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should be considered.