Study of endpoints of slow atrioventricular nodal pathway ablation in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia

AIM: To study the relationship between endpoints of slow atrioventricular nodal pathway ablation and recurrence in patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). METHODS: Slow pathway radiofrequency ablation was performed in 534 patients with slow-fast AVNRT and the effect of endpoint was observed in type A (complete disappearance of slow pathways and inducible AVNRT with no jumping phenomenon and AVN echo) and type B (residual slow pathway conduction without inducible AVNRT). RESULTS: Endpoint A recurred in 5/415 cases (1.2%) and endpoint B recurred in 11/117 cases (9.4%) with significant differences between them. AV1∶1CL, FP-ERP and △A2H2 of endpoint A became shorter and FP-ERP and △A2H2 of endpoint B became shorter, but △FP-ERP of endpoint A was longer than endpoint B. CONCLUSION: The recurrence rate of type A is lower than that of type B. Type B can be an effective and safe ablation endpoint with good AV conduction and no inducible AVNRT.