Surgical management of atrial tachyarrhythmias associated with congenital cardiac anomalies: Mayo Clinic experience.

Patients with congenital cardiac anomalies that cause right or left atrial dilatation may have associated atrial tachyarrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. Congenital cardiac anomalies may also be associated with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia. In addition, atrial arrhythmias may develop late after definitive operation for congenital cardiac anomalies, especially after the Fontan procedure. Ebstein's anomaly is the most common congenital cardiac anomaly associated with atrial arrhythmias. Atrial arrhythmias cause significant morbidity and mortality, as well as sudden death. Advances in electrophysiologic catheterization and surgical techniques have allowed the diagnosis, localization, and successful treatment of these arrhythmias.