# Tübingen University Hospital performs first STAR procedure for ventricular tachycardia

- Published: 2026-11-06 12:31 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation, STAR treatment, ventricular tachycardia, Tübingen University Hospital, cardiac radiation
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-c1e43bdc8a8299a1da87a317_t_bingen_university/

**Physicians treated a patient with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia using non-invasive stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation.**

![Tübingen University Hospital performs first STAR procedure for ventricular tachycardia](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/d3b8c4691d17df39.jpg)
*Narenfox, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

In early October, specialists at the Tübingen University Hospital successfully treated a patient suffering from life-threatening ventricular tachycardia using targeted cardiac radiation, lomazoma.com reported [1]. The procedure, known as stereotactic arrhythmia radioablation (STAR), was implemented for the first time at the medical center by a multidisciplinary team combining radiation oncology and interventional cardiology [1]. Following the non-invasive intervention, the patient's condition improved rapidly, and no further arrhythmias were recorded [1].

Ventricular tachycardia causes rapid ventricular contractions that can induce unconsciousness or sudden cardiac death, especially in individuals with preexisting myocardial damage [1]. Standard interventions typically involve antiarrhythmic medication and invasive catheter ablation to eliminate defective cardiac tissue [1]. However, a subset of patients does not respond adequately to these standard approaches, leaving recurrent episodes unmanaged [1].

## Targeted radiotherapy protocol

The STAR technique serves as a treatment option for selected patients when catheter-based and pharmacological interventions fail [1]. The actual irradiation takes only a few minutes and does not require general anesthesia [1]. During the procedure, linear accelerators deliver a single high-precision radiation dose externally to the exact myocardial zone generating the abnormal electrical signals [1].

## Multimodal preparation and planning

The preparation for STAR requires extensive diagnostic mapping across multiple departments [1]. Electrophysiologists first isolate the arrhythmogenic substrates using cardiac catheter examinations [1]. These electrophysiological datasets are subsequently merged with radiological imaging [1].

Using these combined models, medical physicists calculate an individualized radiation plan that covers the target volume while sparing surrounding healthy structures such as the lungs, esophagus, and stomach [1]. The planning followed guidelines defined by the European research network STOPSTORM [1].

## Sources

1. [lomazoma.com](https://lomazoma.com/universitaetsklinikum-tuebingen-neue-therapie-bei-herzrhythmusstoerungen-landkreis-tuebingen-reutlinger-general-anzeiger)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-c1e43bdc8a8299a1da87a317_t_bingen_university/