Safety and Efficacy of Outpatient Transseptal Radiofrequency Ablation of Atrioventricular Accessory Pathways

A retrospective analysis of 60 consecutive patients who underwent outpatient transseptal radiofrequency ablation of left sided accessory pathways at Westchester County Medical Center/New York Medical College from September 1994 to December 1997 was performed. Patients were followed for a mean duration of 22 months. No complications either local or related to the transseptal method were observed. All patients had successful ablation of the accessory pathway. One patient had a recurrence of symptoms. This study suggests transseptal radiofrequency ablation of the left sided accessory pathways to be safe, feasible and an effective procedure when performed in an outpatient setting. These results were obtained at a high volume center with experience using the transseptal technique.