[Arthroplasty in congenital aortic coarctation in adults with balloon and endovascular prosthesis: immediate results and 6-month follow-up].

Up to 1982, surgery was the treatment of aortic coarctation, with postsurgical recoarctation in 39% of cases. Since 1984 balloon aortoplasty has been performed successfully in adolescents and adult patients. We present the immediate results, and more than six months follow up of 6 patients with congenital aortic coarctation, who underwent this procedure. Five of the six patients were male, with an average age of 28.6 years (15-46), and in 4 of them a stent was placed. Systolic pressure of ascending aorta decreased from 187.1 mm of Hg (+/- 41.8) to 128 (+/- 25.4), and transaortic gradient from 66 mm of Hg (+/- 21.8) to 4.8 (+/- 7.6). Coarctation luminal diameter increased from 4.6 mm (+/- 1.41) to 14.3 (+/- 3) in patients with only balloon aortoplasty and to 17.8 mm with stent placement, p = NS. Angiography in three patients with stent at 6 months did not reveal restenosis, all six patients require less antihypertensive medications. Acute and chronic complications, percentage and time of restenosis, long term results, and possible benefit of stents are yet to be determined.