EDITORIAL

Coarctation of the aorta in adults: do we need surgeons?

M J Mullen

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Michael J Mullen, Adult Congenital Heart Unit, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London SW3 6NP, UK;
m.mullen@rbh.nthames.nhs.uk

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With the introduction of endovascular stents, catheter based intervention in the treatment of aortic coarctation now represents a viable alternative to surgery

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Keywords: aortic coarctation; endovascular stents; congenital heart disease; interventional cardiology

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Coarctation of the aorta is a common congenital defect, which although normally detected and surgically repaired in childhood may present in adolescence or adulthood, usually in the context of investigation for hypertension. The morphological spectrum of abnormalities range from a discrete stenosis distal to the left subclavian, often with extensive collateral formation, to a hypoplastic transverse arch and aortic isthmus, that typically presents in infancy. In some patients coarctation is caused by a long tubular stenosis of the descending thoracic aorta. The natural history of untreated coarctation is that of premature death from stroke and coronary heart disease or sudden death^1–3 and relief of anything but the mildest of obstructions is usually indicated.

The techniques for surgical repair of aortic coarctation have progressively evolved over the past 50 years. In the largest series to date,⁴ representing 646 operations performed between 1946 and 1981, perioperative mortality was highest in infants, lowest . . . [Full text of this article]

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• Carr, J. A. (2006). The Results of Catheter-Based Therapy Compared With Surgical Repair of Adult Aortic Coarctation. J Am Coll Cardiol 47: 1101-1107 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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