Safety and Practicality

A lthough still in its infancy, ablation of accessory pathways using radiofrequency energy delivered through a catheter already has an important history. The technique evolved from the demonstration that accessory pathway potentials could be recorded with standard multipolar electrode catheters.' It was only a natural extension of the technique to learn ways to eliminate accessory pathway conduction using some form of controlled destructive energy.2-6 Two forms of energy that have been most commonly used include direct current energy and radiofrequency energy. These two energy forms differ significantly in many respects.7-11 The waveform for