Correlations between the localization of accessory atrioventricular pathway and Doppler indices of left ventricular output and function in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

Left ventricular (LV) output and function was investigated, using pulsed Doppler echocardiography in 52 patients with various localizations of accessory AV pathway (AP) in sinus rhythm and during paroxysm of AV reentrant tachycardia. In patients with sinus rhythm and ventricular preexcitation the most marked decrease in LV output and function (reduced aortic flow peak velocity [PV], mean acceleration [MA], stroke distance [SD], minute distance [MD], and lengthened time to peak velocity [TTP]) was noted in the presence of right parietal AP and less marked changes (decreased MA, lengthened TTP)--in the presence of posteroseptal AP, in comparison with the controls (P less than 0.005).

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of ectopic atrial tachycardia.

Eighty-two patients with ectopic atrial tachycardia (EAT) were subjected to radical closed heart surgery (without cardiopulmonary bypass). The age of the patients ranged from 1 to 51 years. Permanent EAT was present in 19 patients, incessant EAT in 14, and paroxysmal EAT in 49 patients.

Surgery of tachyarrhythmia: intracardiac closed heart cryoablation.

Closed heart surgery without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is one of the trends of surgical treatment of tachyarrhythmias. Having rich experience of epicardial cryoablation, the authors introduced the original technique of intracardiac cryoablation. They have demonstrated the feasibility of creation of complete AV block in patients with supraventricular tachycardias by AV node-His-bundle cryoablation, elimination of AV junctional ("nodal") tachycardia by perinodal cryoablation, cryoablation of septal and paraseptal left posterior AV accessory pathways and ectopic foci in atrial septum, complete or partial cryoisolation or cryofragmentation of the atria in patients with atrial flutter and/or fibrillation, and cryoablation or arrhythmogenic zones in ventricles.