Left stellate ganglion block, a rescue treatment for ventricular arrhythmia refractory to radiofrequency catheter ablation: A care-compliant case report

RATIONALE: Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) provides a blockade of sympathetic signals from the sympathetic chain and appears to be a promising method of controlling refractory ventricular arrhythmias, but there are scanty data in the literature. PATIENT CONCERNS: Herein, we describe a 59-year-old male patient with a history of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and suffering from frequent VT episodes, who received ICD implantation and regular amiodarone medication control. DIAGNOSES: Monomorphic VT refractory to standard medication control and focal extensive catheter ablation. INTERVENTIONS: Left Stellate Ganglion Block (LSGB) was performed under ultrasound-assisted injection at the C6 level using a 10 ml solution of 0.4% lidocaine and 0.5% bupivacaine. OUTCOMES: In our case, refractory VT subsided and sinus rhythm was retained immediately after LSGB. There were no VT episodes for at least 3 hours during the inter-hospital transfer, which did not involve any specific complications. LESSONS: LSGB may provide effective VT control and play an important role in rescue and bridge therapy before catheter ablation.