Coarctation of the aorta

Treatment:

Surgery is usually advised. Occasionally, balloon angioplasty (using a similar technique to that used to open the coronary arteries, but performed on the aorta) may be an alternative to surgical repair. With surgery, the narrowed segment of the aorta is removed then repaired by anastomosis (placing the two free ends of the aorta back together) if the gap is small, or the gap may be bridged with a Dacron graft (a synthetic material used to fill larger gaps).

Expectations (prognosis):

Coarctation of the aorta is curable with surgery, and rapid improvement of symptoms can be expected after the repair. There is an earlier incidence of cardiovascular death among people with aortic repair than among the general public; however, repair leads to a marked increase in longevity over those do not have the repair made. Early surgical intervention (before 10 years old) may improve these statistics. Today, diagnosis of a coarctation and the subsequent repair typically occur during infancy. Uncorrected, coarctation usually causes death before the person is 40 years old.

Complications:

• aortic aneurysm
• aortic dissection
• aortic rupture
• severe hypertension
• endocarditis
• intracerebral hemorrhage
• stroke
• heart failure
• premature development of coronary artery disease (CAD)

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if symptoms indicate that coarctation of the aorta may be present.

Call your health care provider if fainting or chest pain develops; these may indicate an emergency situation!