ABLATION OF JUNCTIONAL TACHYCARDIAS BY RA DIOFREQUENCY CURRENT - EXPERIENCE-BASED UPON 538 PATIENTS

Junctional tachycardias may be related to intranodal reentry or to the existence of an accessory pathway. All are suitable for radical treat ment by radiofrequency current applied either in the perinodal region or at the tricuspid or mitral atrioventricular rings respectively. 176 patients with intranodal reentry were treated by preferential modific ation of the rapid (8) or slow (167) anterograde pathway of the reentr y circuit, with a 99 % success Fate (1 failure) and without significan t complications, in particular atrioventricular block in the case of a blation of the slow pathway. 362 patients with one or more accessory p athways, patent or latent, were treated using the same type of energy. The ablation site was determined on the basis of indirect criteria an d/or recording of the specific activity of the accessory pathway. The success rate here was 98 %, once again without significant complicatio ns with the exception of those Inherent to catheterisation procedures. Treatment duration time was 41+/-38 min in the treatment of intranoda l reentry and 58+/-49 when one or more accessory pathways were respons ible. X-ray exposure times were 14+/-14 min and 23+/-21 min respective ly. Such results would justify the expectation of widened indications of the method.