[The history of Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome and evolution of surgical methods for its management].

Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW syndrome) affects roughly 1% of the population. It usually occurs in subjects with normal heart function but may combine with congenital cardiac failure and cardiomyopathy. Paroxysmal tachycardia is recorded in 40-80% of he WPW patients, largely in the form of reciprocal tachycardia related to circulation of excitation in the atrioventricular junction and Kent's bundle. Development and improvement of surgical methods for the management of supraventricular tachycardia became possible with the advent of transcatheter registration of electrical activity in different heart regions and programmed heart stimulation techniques. Catheter-assisted methods for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders including arrhythmia have been extensively used in recent decades. Transvenous fulguration is one of them replaced at present by radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The discovery of WPW syndrome made possible a new approach to the the problem of sudden death in young age. Treatment of this syndrome by RFA of additional atrioventricular junction in the last 20 years permitted not only to manage the syndrome itself but also to ensure practically complete recovery of the patients.

[Possible complications of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation].

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest form of disturbed cardiac rhythm. Hundreds of thousands of AF ablations are annually performed worldwide using different energy sources. One of the most popular methods is radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA). This treatment is fraught with various risks being a highly complicated technical procedure. This review paper presents data on the most frequent complication of RFA, their frequency, causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Much attention is given to the recognition and prevention of possible complications.