SUCCESSFUL RADIOFREQUENCY CATHETER ABLATION IN A PATIENT WITH WOLFF-PARKINSON-WHITE SYNDROME AFTER UNSUCCESSFUL SURGICAL REPAIR

Radiofrequency catheter ablation has found wider applications for the treatment of supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias. We present a case report of a 30-year-old woman with a history of Wolff-Parkinso n-White syndrome and surgical excision of both septal and paraseptal a ccessory pathways. Five years post surgery she presented with recurren t supraventricular tachycardia. Subsequently she underwent successful radiofrequency catheter ablation of a right posterior septal accessory pathway. After 1.8 seconds of 20 watts of radiofrequency energy deliv ered to the right posteroseptal region (coronary sinus os), orthodromi c supraventricular tachycardia was terminated. After completion of a f ull 100 second application, there was no evidence of either manifest o r concealed accessory pathways, and no supraventricular tachycardia up on restudy. This study emphasizes the ease and facility of the percuta neous catheter ablation techniques that are now employed as compared t o the open chest surgical approach.