Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with nonstop fast heart rate treated by radiofrequency ablation
By Scherlag, B J et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1993·University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Radiofrequency ablation of a concealed accessory pathway as treatment for incessant supraventricular tachycardia in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old dog was brought in for a fast heart rate (between 220 to 280 beats per minute) that wouldn’t respond to previous treatments. The cause was identified as a hidden accessory pathway in the heart that was causing the abnormal rhythm. The veterinarian used a special technique called radiofrequency ablation to target and eliminate this pathway while the dog was under anesthesia. Since the procedure, the dog has been free of the rapid heart rate and has not needed any medication for over a year.
People also search for: dog fast heart rate treatment · radiofrequency ablation for dogs · dog heart arrhythmia symptoms
Abstract
A new technique for the treatment of certain types of cardiac arrhythmias was used in a 3-year-old dog that was evaluated for incessant supraventricular tachycardia (220 to 280 beats/min), which had been refractory to several treatment regimens. The mechanism of supraventricular tachycardia was atrioventricular (AV) reentry, using a dorsoseptal accessory pathway (AP) for retrograde ventriculoatrial conduction (concealed AP). With the dog under general anesthesia and with fluoroscopic monitoring, electrode catheters were introduced into the heart via peripheral vessels. Electrical recordings allowed localization of the accessory AV pathway. Programmed electrical stimulation was used to verify the function of the abnormal AV connection. At the atrial insertion site of the AP, 2 applications of radiofrequency current (45 V, 21.6 W) were delivered to the dorsoseptal right atrium (near the coronary sinus ostium), which eliminated AP conduction and AV reentrant tachycardia. The dog has remained free of tachycardia and has not required medication during more than 1 year of follow-up.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8244861/