Surgical treatment of accessory atrioventricular pathways and symptomatic tachycardia in children and young adults

Twenty-seven patients aged 21 years or younger (mean 15) with symptomatic tachycardia underwent operation for ablation of an accessory atrioventricular pathway. Six patients had associated Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve. Supraventricular tachycardia had been present for a mean of 5 years. At electrophysiologic study, 4 patients were found to have 2 accessory pathways. Left ventricular free wall pathways were found In 14 patients, right ventricular free wall pathways in 10 and septal pathways in 6. Successful initial ablation of all the pathways was achieved in 26 of the 27 patients. No patient died perioperatively and none had persistent complete heart block. During a mean follow-up of 11 months, no patient had recurrence of an arrhythmia related to the accessory pathway. Thus, the surgical treatment of children and young adults with accessory atrioventricular pathways and symptomatic supraventricular tachycardia is safe and effective. For these patients, unless the tachycardia can be easily controlled with a minimal number of drugs and adverse effects, surgical ablation should be considered early in the clinical course.