[Growth of the hypoplastic aortic arch after arch repair for coarctation and interruption of the aorta].

Surgical treatment for a hypoplastic aortic arch associated with coarctation or interruption of the aorta is controversial. We evaluate the changes of diameter of proximal transverse aortic arch after surgery in 28 patients. Proximal transverse aortic arch in all patients was preoperatively 3.5 +/- 0.9 mm (2.5 to 7 mm), and 54 +/- 12% (36 to 84%) to the normal aortic valve dimension (n-AVD: 16.6 X BSA0.6). While postoperative proximal transverse aortic arch was 6.5 +/- 1.8 mm, and 76 +/- 12% to the n-AVD, and significantly grew more than the preoperative arch dimension (p = 0.0001). In 18 patients having two times cardiac catheterization postoperatively, proximal transverse aortic arch was 6.5 +/- 1.6 mm, and 75 +/- 13% to n-AVD on the 1st postoperative examination. On the 2nd examination, the arch was 9.9 +/- 1.9 mm, and 88 +/- 12% to n-AVD, and significantly grew with increasing years (p < or = 0.0003). We concluded that the proximal transverse aortic arch, which was more than 36% to n-AVD in diameter, if not dilated surgically, grew with increasing years after aortic arch repair.