Quality of Life after Ablation vs Medication Therapy in Patients With Supraventricular Tachycardia

Objective: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is the most common presentation of patients at cardiac emergency department. This study aims to determine the quality of life in patients with supraventricular tachycardia after they treated with medicines vs. ablation therapy. Methods: This prospective clinical comparative study was held at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). Patients 18 years or older of either gender presenting with the two most common variants of SVT i.e. Atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) and Atrioventricular reentry tachycardia (AVRT) were eligible to be included into the study. Once stabilized at the emergency department (ED) the patients were given the option to undergo electrophysiology study and radiofrequency ablation (EPS and RFA) (group A) or opt for medications only (group B). Quality of life (sense of personal well being, impact on social life, fear of mortality or anxiety about the disease, recurrence of episodes of arrhythmia, and visits to ED) was assessed through a questionnaire filled after six months of receiving treatment. Results: A total of 120 patients were included into our study. Group A and group B were evenly divided with 60 patients each. The overall mean age of the participants and duration of cardiac illness were 44.67±18.91 and 5.42±3.13 years, respectively. Patients who received EPS and RFA (group A) had superior and statistically significant scores (better QoL) for sense of personal well being, impact on social life, fear of mortality or anxiety levels, recurrence of arrhythmia, and visits to the ED as compared to those who received medications alone, p<0.05. Conclusion: EPS and RFA vastly improved the quality of life in patients with SVT post treatment. Medications alone are associated with a high number of post treatment sequels and adverse events; therefore they are best avoided in patients with SVT.