Balloon Dilatation Angioplasty for Discrete Coarctation of the Aorta

Abstract

The introduction and availability of balloon dilatation catheters has led to the use of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in infants and children with congenital heart disease. The conditions that have been treated with this technique include: pulmonary valvular stenosis [1], aortic valvular stenosis, peripheral pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein stenosis, superior and inferior vena cava obstruction, coarctation of the aorta [2–4], and restenosis of coarctation [5]. This report describes the results of balloon dilatation angioplasty in seven patients with discrete coarctation of the aorta. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was used to assess this condition before and after balloon dilatation Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used in the postangioplasty assessment of all patients and in the preangioplasty assessment of two patients.