Psychological functioning in children and adolescents undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation

This study examined 38 patients (age 6-18 years) with recurrent cardiac arr hythmias who underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation of ectopic myocardi al foci. Psychological functioning was assessed by the Pediatr-ic Symptom C hecklist Short Mood and Feeling Questionnaire, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, and Arrhythmia Anxiety Queries prior to ablation and at 3-mo nth follow-up. The patients resembled a normal population without elevation s in anxiety or depression. After ablation, the patients showed reductions in the "fear of their heart problem" and increases in "the things that they enjoy. " The patients who underwent a curative ablation had better functio ning than those who did not show improvement. Children appear to have the o pportunity for an improved quality of life after ablation.