Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation of arrhythmias in 360 children

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation( RFCA) of arrhythmias in 360 children. METHODS A total of 360 children with different types of arrhythmias undergoing RFCA in our center between 2000 and 2013 were analyzed. Among the patients,213 children were males and 147 were females,whose ages ranged from 15 months to 14 years( mean 10. 4 3. 3) and average body weight was 34 kg. RESULTS The acute success rate was 98. 9%( 356 /360 cases).Among the 360 cases,308 cases had paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia( 85. 6%),the acute success rate being 99. 7%,including 121 cases with concealed atrioventricular accessory pathway( AP)and atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia, 82 cases with preexcited AP( Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome) and 105 cases with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia. Forty-two cases had ventricular arrhythmias. Acute success rate was 95. 2% including 15 cases with premature ventricular beats and 27 cases with ventricular tachycardia. Ten cases had atrial arrhythmias and the acute success rate was90. 0%,including three cases with typical atrial flutter,one case with atypical atrial flutter and six cases with focal atrial tachycardia. Obvious complications occurred in none of the patients during the perioperative period. During a period of at least 12 months of follow-up after ablation,arrhythmias recurred in eight cases( 2. 2%) and six of the eight cases had a successful re-ablation. CONCLUSION Radiofrequency catheter ablation of arrhythmias is safe and effective in children who have indications for the procedure.