Biplanar transesophageal echocardiographic direction of radiofrequency catheter ablation in children and adolescents with the wolff-parkinson-white syndrome

Preliminary reports suggest that radiofrequency catheter ablation is a safe and effective method for the management of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias in children. 1 Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has recently been used to monitor various interventional cardiac catheterization procedures in children. The use of single-plane TEE has been described in 2 patients (aged 43 and 16 years) with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome and left-sided accessory pathways undergoing radiofrequency ablation. 2 The present report summarizes our experience with biplanar TEE monitoring and guidance of radiofrequency catheter ablation in children and adolescents. The report focuses on the feasibility, safety and potential benefits of the procedure.