DAY STAY TRANSCATHETER RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION FOR SUPRAVENTRICULAR TACHYARRHYTHMIAS

Objective: To describe our initial experience with transcatheter radio frequency ablation as a day stay procedure for patients with supravent ricular tachyarrhythmias resulting from aberrant atriovent icular path ways. Design: Prospective study of the first 50 patients at the Royal Perth Hospital whom we intended to treat and discharge on the same day . Patients underwent a combined electrophysiological study and radiofr equency ablation. Results: Accessory pathways were identified in 32 pa tients (successfully ablated in 30) and dual atrioventricular nodal pa thways in 18 patients (with successful ablation of the slow pathway in 17). Thirty-eight patients were discharged on the same day (24 treate d for accessory pathways, and 14 treated for dual atrioventricular nod al pathways). There were no late complications or readmissions in pati ents discharged on the same day. Conclusions: In patients with suprave ntricular tachyarrhythmia, day stay transcatheter ablation can be plan ned without a definitive prior diagnosis of the physiological cause. C omplications or other reasons for overnight admission are apparent at completion of the procedure.