Surgical Sympathetic Denervation for Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPMVT) is an uncommon but often deadly form of heritable, primarily electrical, cardiac disease. Affected patients are at high risk for stress-induced sudden cardiac death. Beta blockade and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators are mainstays in the management of this condition. Yet in some patients, even the maximum tolerated regimens of medical therapy do not prevent recurrent ventricular arrhythmias from provoking frequent, painful, and potentially dangerous ICD shocks, dramatically diminishing quality of life.

Sympathetic denervation is not a new procedure; it has been used in patients with long QT syndrome for decades. However, the relative ease and benefits of ICD implantation ha…