How is coarctation of aorta treated
What are the recommended treatment options for patients with coarctation of the aorta and their effects on hypertension and mortality?
Multiple surgical procedures have been used, including resection of the involved aortic segment with end-to-end reanastomosis, grafting of an overlying aortic flap, and/or placement of a synthetic graft. More recently, balloon angioplasty has been successful in many infants and children, but the procedure can be technically challenging in adolescents and adults. If left untreated, about 50% of patients with coarctation die by age 30; the 30-year survival improves to 93% if successfully repaired before age 5 years. Hypertension is “cured” in about 50% of children who have successful repairs of coarctation. When the coarctation is discovered in an adult, the life expectancy is reduced, primarily because the hypertension is more difficult to control (and often does not disappear after repair), and more target organ damage has already occurred.
