Should patients with asymptomatic wolff-parkinson-white pattern undergo a catheter ablation?

Many individuals with the Wolff-Parkinson-White electrocardiographic pattern are asymptomatic. Optimal management of these individuals is still a matter of debate. On the one hand, sudden cardiac death from ventricular fibrillation is a rare yet possible outcome in these individuals. On the other hand, there is a low risk of serious complication from electrophysiologic study and ablation. Given that the risk of these competing strategies is comparable, the decision needs to be individualized with considerable patient input.