Objective: To determine the present-day approach of pediatric cardiac electrophysiologists to asymptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) pattern and to contrast to both published consensus statements and a similar survey.
Study design: A questionnaire was sent to 266 Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society physician members in 25 countries; 21 questions from the 2003 survey were repeated, with new questions added regarding risk stratification and decision making.
Results: We received 113 responses from 13 countries, with responders having extensive electrophysiology experience (median 15 years [IQR 8.5-25 years]). Only 12 (11%) believed that intermittent pre-excitation and 37 (33%) that sudden loss of pre-excitation on exercise test were sufficient evidence of accessory pathway safety to avoid an invasive electrophysiology study. Optimal weight for electrophysiology study was 20 kg (IQR 18-22.5 kg), and 61% and 58% would then ablate all right-sided or left-sided accessory pathways, respectively, regardless of electrophysiological properties, whereas only 23% would ablate all septal accessory pathways (P < .001). Compared with 2003, respondents were more likely to consider inducible arrhythmia (77% vs 26%, P < .001) as sufficient indication alone for ablation.
Conclusions: In the context of recent literature regarding the reliability of risk-stratification tools, most operators are now performing electrophysiology study for asymptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White regardless of noninvasive findings. Many will then proceed to default ablation of all accessory pathways distant from critical conduction structures.
Keywords: Wolff-Parkinson-White; ablation; accessory pathway; electrophysiological study; pediatric; risk stratification; sudden cardiac death.
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