title: A postoperative follow-up study of infantile coarctation of the aorta.
abstract: Follow-up investigations were performed in 16 patients operated on for coarctation during infancy. The follow-up period ranged from 4.5 to 11 years (median 5.5 years). Four different surgical techniques were used: resection with end-to-end anastomosis (REE) (4 patients), subclavian flap aortoplasty (SFA) (10 patients), patch aortoplasty (1 patient) and resection and SFA (1 patient). One patient developed recoarctation (6%). She had been operated on by REE at 7 days of age. The other three patients operated on by REE had equal pulses in the arms and legs; none had hypertension and all had normal arm/leg pressure gradients at rest. Seven (58%) of the 12 patients operated on by SFA or aortoplasty had weak radial pulses in the left arm but no limitation of left arm function. The left a rm showed a normal bone age but was smaller and shorter than the right arm in 9 (81%) of the patients. None of the patients operated on by SFA had hypertension and the arm/leg gradient at rest was normal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Al Wasl Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdulla
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Malmgren
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Björkhem
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Lundström
mesh_terms: D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography