[Early results of surgical treatment of patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome].

Successful dissection of accessory pathways (AcP's) was performed in 19 of 20 patients. 15 pts had single, 4 double and 1 patient had 3 accessory pathways (AcP's). The patient with 3 AcP's was operated twice. During the first operation two AcP's were eliminated. The third one was revealed during the postoperative electrophysiologic study. Verapamil facilitated its manifestation and localisation. No patient had syncope or atrio-ventricular tachycardia after the operation. In 3 of 10 patients who had atrial fibrillation before the operation, episodes of AF occurred in the early postoperative period. Conduction to the ventricles was through the normal conduction system. Dissection of AcP's prevented extremely fast ventricular response and syncope. After discontinuation of amiodarone more frequent ventricular premature beats occurred in patients with long history of cardiac arrhythmias, on drugs for a long time and in patients who had heart dilatation. Several months after the operation VEB were less frequent, probably because tachycardias did not occur, left ventricle geometry improved, and cardiodepressant drugs were discontinued. Previously these patients had been treated usually with combination of 2-3 such drugs. After the successful dissection of AcP's the patients lost the feeling of illness and do not feel being imperilled. Children can attend schools normally and some adult patients resumed their professional activities.