Endovascular management of adult coarctation and its complications: intermediate results in a cohort of 22 patients.

Objective: To determine the safety and effectiveness of current endovascular treatment in adult patients with thoracic aortic coarctation and its complications.

Methods: A cohort of 22 patients was treated for late presenting primary or recurrent coarctation or aneurysmal formation at varying intervals following childhood intervention.

Results: Ten patients with recently discovered de novo coarctations were treated with balloon-expandable stents, and an endoluminal graft (ELG) was used in one additional patient. In the other 11 patients with recurrent lesions, three underwent repeat balloon dilation and stenting; eight patients with recurrence with aneurysms received ELGs. The gradients across the coarctation decreased from 49 + 16 to 4 + 7 mmHg (p = 0.001), and the diameters increased from 10 + 4 to 19 + 4mm (p = 0.001). In five of the eight patients (63%) with aneurysms, the ELG covered the subclavian artery, and a carotid subclavian bypass was necessary. Two patients required iliac artery access. No early major complications occurred. At mean follow-up of 31 + 15.6 months, one patient with type II leak resolved spontaneously and another developed neck dilation and type I leak, requiring a second ELG placement. All patients except one had improvements in symptoms and better hypertension control.

Conclusions: We conclude that primary or secondary endovascular intervention in adults with de novo or recurrent coarctation and aneurysms is feasible with good intermediate results.