PREDICTORS OF EARLY AND LATE RECURRENCE OF ATRIOVENTRICULAR ACCESSORYPATHWAY CONDUCTION AFTER APPARENTLY SUCCESSFUL RADIOFREQUENCY CATHETER ABLATION

The correlation between electrophysiologic parameters and recurrence i n 239 patients who underwent successful catheter ablation for an acces sory pathway mediated tachycardia was analysed. Pathway conduction rec urred in 15 patients (6.3%) after a mean follow-up of 7.3 months. Recu rrence was most common in patients with right free wall pathways (17.1 %). Accessory pathway conduction resumed in 18.9% of patients with dec remental ventriculo-atrial (VA) conduction post-ablation compared with those patients without VA conduction (3.4%) (P < 0.001). Recurrence w as common also in patients with repeated return of accessory pathway c onduction during the ablation procedure (40% vs. 1.3%, P < 0.01). The patients in whom these observations are made should be monitored close ly for recurrence of accessory pathway conduction post-ablation.