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Endo-epicardial vs Endocardial-only Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients With Ischemic Cardiomyopathy (EPIC-VT)

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Ischemic Cardiomyopathy
Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardia
Interventions
Procedure: Endo-epicardial ablation
Procedure: endocardial ablation only
Registration Number
NCT05888662
Lead Sponsor
Rennes University Hospital
Brief Summary

Radiofrequency ablation of ventricular tachycardias (VTs) is the gold standard treatment of refractory VTs in patients with ischaemic heart disease. In this setting, ablation is usually performed endocardially. However, even after a procedural success there is a high risk of recurrence, particularly due to the inability to create transmural lesions. Indeed, only the endocardium of the LV has been ablated, while a significant part of the arrhythmia substrate may be located on the other side of the myocardial thickness, on the epicardial side of the LV.

First described in 1996, epicardial ablation, performed via a percutaneous subxyphoid approach, has since undergone considerable development. Electrophysiologists often use a double endo- and epicardial approach as first line therapy for the ablation of VTs complicating myocarditis or arrhythmogenic dysplasia of the right ventricle, where the substrate is most often epicardial.

For VT in ischaemic heart disease, electrophysiologists perform endocardial ablation, and often perform epicardial ablation only after several endocardial failures. Several observational studies suggest that a combined endo- and epicardial approach as first line therapy is associated with a reduced risk of VT recurrence. Since recurrent VT in patients with ischaemic heart disease as a prognostic impact in terms of morbidity and mortality, it appears essential to optimise rhythm management by ablation, by offering a combined approach from the as first approach to reduce the risk of recurrences.

The aim of our prospective, multicentre, controlled, randomized study is therefore to compare the rate of VT recurrence after ablation performed as first line therapy either by endocardial approach alone or by combined endo-epicardial approach.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
150
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Patients over 18 years of age
  2. 1st radiofrequency ablation of VT complicating ischaemic heart disease
  3. Patients with an ICD and remote monitoring
  4. Having, for women of childbearing age, effective contraception until discharge from hospital
  5. Have given their free and informed consent in writing
  6. are affiliated to or have health insurance
Exclusion Criteria
  1. History of cardiac surgery compromising the epicardial approach (coronary artery bypas s grafting, valve replacements, or other surgeries that may have caused pericardial adhesions)
  2. Anticoagulant therapy that cannot be temporarily discontinued
  3. Double antiplatelet therapy that cannot be temporarily replaced by single antiplatelet therapy
  4. History of pericarditis
  5. Previous thoracic radiotherapy
  6. Contraindication to general anaesthesia
  7. Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
  8. History of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia type 2 (as injection is required during the procedure)
  9. Person under legal protection (safeguard of justice, curatorship, guardianship), deprived of liberty, or unable to express consent

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Endo-epicardial ablationEndo-epicardial ablation-
endocardial ablation onlyendocardial ablation only-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Survival free from ventricular arrhythmia recurrenceup to 5 years

Survival free from ventricular arrhythmia recurrence, defined as the time interval between the date of ablation and the date of first ventricular arrhythmia recurrence.

Recurrence of ventricular arrhythmia is defined as the occurrence of appropriate ICD therapy or the occurrence of sustained VT/VF \> 30 seconds The occurrence of the event and the date of the event will be obtained from the ICD interrogation.

Patients without recurrence will be censored at the date of last ICD interrogation

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Number of ventricular arrhythmias treatedup to 5 years

Number of ventricular arrhythmias treated by the defibrillator with shocks or bursts of antitachycardia pacing during follow-up or the occurrence of sustained VT/VF \> 30 seconds.

Percentage of patients with a electrical stormup to 5 years

Electrical storm is defined as the occurrence of at least 3 appropriate therapies (antitachycardia pacing or shocks) delivered by the defibrillator within 24 hours.

Percentage of patients with recurrent ventricular arrhythmiaup to 5 years

Percentage of patients with recurrent ventricular arrhythmia

mortality rateUp to 2 years

2-year mortality rate

Number of patients hospitalized for cardiovascular reasonsup to 2 years

Number of patients hospitalized for cardiovascular reasons (i.e. heart failure, rhythm disorders) at 2 years

Number of patients requiring a redo ablation for ventricular arrhythmiaUp to 5 years

Number of patients requiring a redo ablation for ventricular arrhythmia

Number of patients in each group who are non-inducible at the end of the procedure1 day

Number of patients in each group who are non-inducible at the end of the procedure (programmed ventricular stimulation negative)

Number of serious complicationsup to 5 years

Number of serious complications related to the procedure

Trial Locations

Locations (10)

Hospices Civils de Lyon

🇫🇷

Lyon, France

CHU de Bordeaux

🇫🇷

Bordeaux, France

Centre Hospitalier de Clermont-Ferrand

🇫🇷

Clermont-Ferrand, France

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen

🇫🇷

Caen, France

Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Lille

🇫🇷

Lille, France

Hôpital Universitaire La Pitié-Salpêtrière - Paris

🇫🇷

Paris, France

CHU de Nantes

🇫🇷

Nantes, France

Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire Tours - Hôpital Bretonneau

🇫🇷

Tours, France

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Toulouse - Hôtel Dieu Saint-Jacques

🇫🇷

Toulouse, France

CHU de Rennes

🇫🇷

Rennes, France

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