Accessory Pathway

[Dolly747]

9 years ago when I was 40 years old, a Cardiologist told me that I had an "Accessory Pathway" in my heart. He prescribed a beta blocker and talked to me about ablation. He told me if I had an ablation, I would have to have a pacemaker. I never went back...
Is an "Accessory Pathway" the same as "Wollf Parkinson White Syndrome"? Is a pacemaker always necessary if you get an ablation. Is an accessory pathway a congenital condition?

[PikaPika88]

I'm not a doctor.  I have wpw and a pacemaker.  I think wpw is talking about accessory pathway or pathways.  Not all ablation will end up with a pacemaker.  I know there are many successful ablations which don't need a pacemaker.  Really it depends on where is your pathway and how experience are your EP?  Also the techniques that your EP will use?  If your accessory pathway is very very closed or attached to the nodes and some important locations (I don't know all the names), it might ablate at the same time when he ablated the pathway.  Then you need a pacemaker.  

A new technique calls Cryoablation will freeze it first and see how your heart function.  It can unfreeze, if you decided don't want the ablation go ahead.   Google the "Cryoablation" it stated more details at the website.   Many children and adults had that too.  Take care.