Impact of Accessory Pathway Location on Electrophysiologic Characteristics and Ablation Success

Background: To investigate the relationship between the location of accessory pathways, electrophysiologic characteristics, and ablation success in Wolfe-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Methods: Electrophysiologic study was performed in 178 patients for a pre-excitation syndrome. Accessory pathway location, anterograde or retrograde conduction, ablation success, and recurrence rate were evaluated. Results: Among 178 patients with WPW syndrome, the most frequent location of the accessory pathway was left lateral (39.3%) which had high ablation success rate (97%) and low recurrence rate (1%). A meaningful relationship exists between accessory pathway location and electrophysiologic characteristics. Ablation success rate was 89.7% and was statistically related to accessory pathway location. Recurrent occurred in 2.9% of our patients and was more frequent in right free wall and PJRT. Conclusions: The location of accessory pathways has a great impact on conductivity, ablation success, and recurrence rate in WPW syndrome.