How is Ventricular Tachycardia and Treated?
The Stanford Cardiac Arrhythmia Service provides a wide range of state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to the management of patients with arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia. Patients felt to have life-threatening ventricular tachycardia, often but not always in the presence of specific heart abnormalities, may require implantation of a special pacemaker-like device called an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator or ICD. This device is implanted in the upper chest and involves insertion of special wires or leads into the vein under the collar bone. These wires or leads are then advanced into the heart and connected to the device. This device waits until a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia to occur and will provide fast electrical signals (pacing) or an electrical shock to the heart to rapidly return the rhythm to normal. Some patients may still experience some dizziness or even pass out while other patients are not aware of the ventricular tachycardia if
