Cost-Effectiveness of Radiofrequency Ablation for Supraventricular Tachycardia

Abstract

Radiofrequency ablation substantially improves quality of life and reduces costs when it is used to treat highly symptomatic patients. Although the benefit of radiofrequency ablation has not been studied in less symptomatic patients, a small improvement in quality of life is sufficient to give preference to radiofrequency ablation over drug therapy.

Long-term outcome of patients with atrioventricular node reentrant tachycardia

“…The finding that the arrhythmia may disappear over time should be taken into consideration when deciding the treatment modality, and suggests that a less aggressive approach should be adopted in patients with minor symptoms, in whom, based on our results, AVNRT is more likely to disappear over time. However, it should be underlined that the disappearance of symptoms was also observed in subjects with monthly episodes of tachycardia, in which radiofrequency ablation is currently considered the most effective therapy [5].…”

Catheter ablation for cardiac arrhythmias: A 14-year experience with 5330 consecutive patients at the Quebec Heart Institute, Laval Hospital

“…RFA improves health-related quality of life to a greater extent than medical treatments (13,14) and is less expensive than medical therapy over time among patients who have frequent symptomatic episodes of tachycardia.…”

Advances in ablation therapy for complex arrhythmias: Atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia

“…Catheter ablation in the setting of reentrant supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and atrial flutter is associated with such low complication rates and high success rates that it is safer, more effective, and less expensive than chronic medical therapy for all age groups [1,2]. Radiofrequency ablation improved quality-adjusted life expectancy by 3.1 qualityadjusted life-years and reduced lifetime medical expenditures by $27,900 compared with long-term drug therapy for most SVT [3]. Most recently, catheter ablative therapy has expanded to include the treatment of complex arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AF), unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT), and epicardial VT. We review current ablation techniques to treat complex arrhythmias with a focus on AF and VT.…”