Surgical treatment of 100 patients with W-P-W syndrome

100 patients with W-P-W syndrome who had repeated attacks of supraventricular tachycardia (200-300 beats per minute) associated with syncope and hypotension were treated surgically. Most of them were refractory to medical treatment. Electrophysiological studies were done before operation and the anomalous conduction pathways (ACPs) were confirmed and localized by epicardial mapping during the operation. Among the 100 patients, 44 were of type B, 29 type A and 27 type A + B. The right ACPs were excised and the left ACPs were injected with alcohol. Four patients died after operation. 96 patients were followed up for an average of 24 months; 38 (90.5%) of 42 type B patients, 23 (82.1%) of 28 type A patients, and 17 (65.4%) of 26 type A + B patients were cured.