Permanent programmable pacemakers in the management of recurrent tachycardias.

Patient reports are presented to indicate the application of standard implanted programmable pacemakers with endocardial electrodes for long-term overdrive suppression of recurrent ventricular tachycardia, and their adaptability to non-invasively induced burts of rapid ventricular pacing to cardiovert that arrhythmia. In carefully preselected patients with bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome, this type of programmable pacemaker may also be used to convert paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia by short bursts of rapid ventricular pacing. In addition, the advantage of non-invasively instituting overdrive suppression with programmable pacemakers to control recurrent ventricular tachycardia appearing in patients being chronically paced for complete heart block is illustrated.