A Randomized Study of Prophylactic Catheter Ablation in Asymptomatic Patients with the Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome

Many asymptomatic patients with a Wolff–Parkinson–White pattern on the electrocardiogram are at low risk for arrhythmias. However, younger asymptomatic patients with inducible arrhythmias may be at higher risk. This study found that prophylactic catheter ablation of accessory pathways in such patients greatly reduced the risk of arrhythmias. Prophylactic ablation in asymptomatic patients. Sudden death from cardiac causes in a healthy young person is a tragic event. Although ventricular fibrillation can be the presenting arrhythmia in asymptomatic patients with a Wolff–Parkinson–White electrocardiographic pattern, invasive electrophysiological testing for risk stratification and catheter ablation are not routinely recommended. 1 We recently reported that a particular subgroup of asymptomatic patients may be at risk for an arrhythmic event during follow-up. 2 We also demonstrated the value of electrophysiological testing for stratifying asymptomatic patients into high- and low-risk groups. In the present trial, we tested the hypothesis that prophylactic accessory-pathway ablation performed at the time of the initial electrophysiological . . .