Background: Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation has been widely and successfully employed to cure adult patients of a variety of arrhythmias. Only a few centers have a pediatric electrophysiology (EP) service available and have presented similar results in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of RF ablation in pediatric patients performed by an adult EP team.
Patients and methods: The study group included 33 consecutive pediatric patients, aged 7-18 years (mean 14.1 +/- 3.1), with symptomatic supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, who underwent RF ablation during the last 3 years. All but two patients underwent a full EP study during the same session. Procedures were performed in all but five patients with use of local anesthesia and deep or light sedation. The left heart was approached with use of transaortic (n = 3) or transseptal (n = 7) techniques. RF ablation was performed for manifest (n = 11) or concealed (n = 9) (9 left, 4 anteroseptal, 3 midseptal, and 4 posteroseptal) or right atriofascicular (Mahaim) (n = 1) accessory pathways in 19 patients, 12 slow AV nodal pathways and 2 atrial tachycardia foci in the other 14 patients.
Results: RF ablation was successful in all patients (100%) with 1-27 RF applications (mean: 10 +/- 7). There was one complication in a patient with 2 accessory pathways; after RF ablation of a posteroseptal accessory pathway, complete heart block occurred during successful ablation of a second midseptal accessory pathway. Fluoroscopy time averaged 35 +/- 23 min and procedure duration 2.8 +/- 1.4 hours. During long-term follow-up of 19 +/- 10 months, there was one AV nodal tachycardia recurrence at 2.5 months, successfully treated with repeat RF ablation.
Conclusion: RF ablation in pediatric patients performed by an adult EP team is efficacious and safe offering cure of symptomatic cardiac tachyarrhythmias in this patient population.