Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome

Treatment

At Mayo Clinic, cardiologists and other medical specialists work together to effectively treat each patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome. Treatment goals include restoring the heart to normal rhythm and preventing life-threatening heart rates. Treatment options at Mayo Clinic for Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome may include catheter radiofrequency ablation, open-heart surgery and medications.

Catheter Radiofrequency Ablation

Mayo Clinic is a national leader in catheter ablation. Cardiologists have extensive expertise and experience and have performed thousands of procedures.

Catheter radiofrequency ablation is a minimally-invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. The catheter ablation team at Mayo Clinic has expertise and experience in treating all heart rhythm disorders, including WPW syndrome. The procedure is performed without open surgery on the chest. Catheters (thin, flexible tubes) are threaded through the patient's blood vessels to reach the abnormal heart tissue. The cardiologist then uses radiofrequency energy (heat) to destroy the extra pathway. The effectiveness of this procedure depends on where the extra electrical pathway is located in the heart.

Open-Heart Surgery

Open-heart surgery is rarely performed for WPW syndrome. Patients treated with open-heart surgery include those with rare forms of heart arrhythmias, acquired heart disease and congenital heart disease. Surgery eliminates the extra electrical heart pathways in nearly all patients. However, open-heart surgery involves a hospital stay of seven to 10 days and four to 10 weeks of recovery at home.

Medications

Several medications, usually taken two to three times daily, can be used to manage WPW syndrome.

When these medications are effective, they can prevent the need for catheter procedures or open-heart surgery. However, medications may need to be taken for many years and can have side effects, which can cause the patient not to feel well. Medications do not work for all patients. In a few patients, medications aggravate rather than reduce the fast heart rate.

Follow-Up Care

Neither open-heart surgery nor catheter radiofrequency ablation eliminates the skipped heartbeats that trigger the abnormally fast heart rhythm characteristic of WPW syndrome. This condition may persist after treatment and may require additional therapy. In a few patients, the extra connection may recur even when ablation appears to have been successful. Repeat ablation may occasionally be necessary.

Mayo Clinic monitors patients over the long term and coordinates care with the patient's local health care provider in the event of persisting or recurrent heartbeat problems.