• Włodzimierz Kuroczyński, Marc Hartert, Diethard Pruefer, Katrin Pitzer-Hartert, Markus Heinemann, and Christian-Friedrich Vahl.
• University Hospital Mainz, Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany. kuroczynski@uni-mainz.de
• Cardiol J. 2008 Jan 1; 15 (6): 537-42.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to determine the outcome after surgical repair of aortic coarctation in adults, analysing its effect on arterial blood pressure.MethodsTwenty-five adults (9 women, 16 men), mean age 43.4 years (19 to 70 years), underwent aortic coarctation surgical repair. All patients suffered from preoperative hypertension. Mean blood pressure was 182/97 mm Hg. Sixteen (64%) patients demonstrated reduced load capacity. Operative technique was resection and end-to-end anastomosis for 5 patients (20%), interposition of a Dacron-tube graft for 3 patients (12%), Dacron-patch dilatation was performed in 7 (28%) patients, and in 10 (40%) patients we performed an extra-anatomical bypass graft.ResultsEarly mortality occurred in 1 patient (4%). The mean blood pressure was reduced [systolic 182 mm Hg vs. 139 mm Hg (p < 0.001), diastolic 97 mm Hg vs. 83 mm Hg (p < 0.001)] in all patients. In 12 patients, blood pressure normalized immediately after surgery, in 7 patients it remained slightly elevated (systolic blood pressure between 140-160 mm Hg), and 1 patient suffered from prolonged arterial hypertension. Preoperatively, all patients were treated with antihypertensive drugs. Eleven of 20 patients received long-term medication during follow- up. In the remaining 4 patients, medication lists were unobtainable in retrospect. The mean follow-up was 7.1 years (min. 1.0 years; max. 16.6 years). One patient (5%) died from cardiac failure 12.4 years after the operation. On average, the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class was improved by 0.92.ConclusionsThe surgical repair of aortic coarctation in adults can be performed with low surgical risk. Surgery reduces hypertension and permits more effective medical treatment.

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