Aims Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for ventricular tachycardias (VTs) could be an option after failed catheter ablation. In this study, we analysed the long-term efficacy and toxicity of SBRT applied as a bail-out procedure. Methods and results Patients with structural heart disease and unsuccessful catheter ablations for VTs underwent SBRT. The planning target volume (PTV) was accurately delineated using exported 3D electroanatomical maps with the delineated critical part of re-entry circuits. This was defined by detailed electroanatomic mapping and by pacing manoeuvres during the procedure. Using the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator lead as a surrogate contrast marker for respiratory movement compensation, 25 Gy was delivered to the PTV using CyberKnife. We evaluated occurrences of sustained VT, electrical storm, antitachycardia pacing, and shock; time to death; and radiation-induced events. From 2014 until March 2017, 10 patients underwent radiosurgical ablation (mean PTV, 22.15 mL; treatment duration, 68 min). After radiosurgery, four patients experienced nausea and one patient presented gradual progression of mitral regurgitation. During the follow-up (median 28 months), VT burden was reduced by 87.5% compared with baseline (P = 0.012) and three patients suffered non-arrhythmic deaths. After the blanking period, VT recurred in eight of 10 patients. The mean time to first antitachycardia pacing and shock were 6.5 and 21 months, respectively. Conclusion Stereotactic body radiotherapy appears to show long-term safety and effectiveness for VT ablation in structural heart disease inaccessible to catheter ablation. We report one possible radiation-related toxicity and promising overall survival, warranting evaluation in a prospective multicentre clinical trial.

T he prevalence of patients with resistant hypertension (RH) varies from 5% to 30%.1 Identification of true-RH, when secondary causes and medication noncompliance are excluded, is becoming more important with the implementation of novel, nondrug therapeutic approaches to RH, such as catheter-based renal-artery denervation (RDN) or baroreflex stimulation. Pilot studies using RDN described the method as feasible, effective, and safe for reducing blood pressure (BP) in the short term. 2-4The interpretation of the results from the majority of these studies was complicated by the lack of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24-hour ABPM) data, lack of compliance confirmation, or small follow-up sample sizes.This study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of RDN in a prospective multicenter randomized trial with the acronym PRAGUE-15 in patients with true-RH, according to the recommendations for RDN.5 Twenty-four-hour ABPM, exclusion of secondary hypertension and evaluation of treatment compliance served as confirmation of true resistance. The efficacy of RDN was compared with intensified antihypertensive treatment including the use of spironolactone. To date, only 1 study has compared RDN with intensified pharmacological treatment.6 However, only 19Abstract-This prospective, randomized, open-label multicenter trial evaluated the efficacy of catheter-based renal denervation (Symplicity, Medtronic) versus intensified pharmacological treatment including spironolactone (if tolerated) in patients with true-resistant hypertension. This was confirmed by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring after excluding secondary hypertension and confirmation of adherence to therapy by measurement of plasma antihypertensive drug levels before enrollment. One-hundred six patients were randomized to renal denervation (n=52), or intensified pharmacological treatment (n=54) with baseline systolic blood pressure of 159±17 and 155±17 mm Hg and average number of drugs 5.1 and 5.4, respectively. A significant reduction in 24-hour average systolic blood pressure after 6 months (−8. Betweengroup differences in change were not significant. The average number of antihypertensive drugs used after 6 months was significantly higher in the pharmacological group (+0.3 drugs; P<0.001). A significant increase in serum creatinine and a parallel decrease of creatinine clearance were observed in the pharmacological group; between-group difference were borderline significant. The 6-month results of this study confirmed the safety of renal denervation. In conclusion, renal denervation achieved reduction of blood pressure comparable with intensified pharmacotherapy.

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This study demonstrates no advantage in long-term arrhythmia-free clinical outcome after circumferential PV isolation in patients with frequent PAF.