Forty-seven consecutive patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome due to posterior septal accessory pathways were operated on from August 3, 1983 to March 23, 1989. Seven of these patients had Ebstein's anomaly, another three coronary sinus aneurysms, one a persistent left superior vena cava, and five others complex multiple pathway combinations. Two additional patients required surgery following unsuccessful catheter ablation and one after failed surgery at another institution. Thus nineteen of forty-seven patients (40%) had additional difficulty factors which tend to complicate the operative dissection in this already complex anatomical area. The surgical anatomy of the posterior septal space as well as the essential operative principles and techniques are reviewed. Each of the frequently encountered additional difficulty factors is described with emphasis on the coronary sinus aneurysm, a recently recognized entity.