Coarctation of the aorta

When there is a narrowing in the aorta, our largest blood vessel carrying blood to the body, it is known as coarctation of the aorta. The narrowing usually occurs after the branching of the vessels supplying the head and arms. Blood pressure rises in the section between the heart and the narrowing. Blood pressure in the arms is higher than in the legs.

Coarctation occurs in approximately 1 in every 1,200–1,300 births and accounts for 6–12% of congenital heart defects.

Symptoms

Fainting

Headaches

Shortness of breath

Palpitations

Ringing in the ears

Nosebleeds

Feeling of heat (in the face)

Numbness of the legs, etc.

Treatment usually involves classic surgery. This method is preferred in newborns and mostly within the first 3 months of life. However, if the coarctation segment is a short narrowing, widening it with balloon angioplasty may also be used at an early age.

During surgery, the narrowed section is usually removed and the healthy ends are sewn together. Sometimes the narrowed areas are widened using a vessel taken from the arm or a synthetic graft. In very rare cases, the narrowing may recur after surgery.

If the patient weighs more than about 20–25 kg and the narrowing does not extend over a long segment, stent implantation may be the first choice. In this method, after access through the groin artery, a stent is placed in the coarcted area to open the narrowing.