Difficulties with Ablation for Arrhythmias in Children

Radiofrequency ablation procedures in children present unique challenges for the electrophysiologist. At times, obtaining vascular access to reach the heart is a problem. If this first step is accomplished, the small size of the child's heart, arrhythmias relatively unique to the pediatric population, and the presence of congenital heart disease add to the complexity. In this manuscript, a review of commonly encountered problems and suggested solutions based on practice are presented. Precise mapping of the arrhythmogenic substrate, techniques to access excluded portions of the atrium from prior surgery, and the basis for electrophysiology maneuvers important in pediatric ablation are highlighted.