[Surgery for coarctation of the aorta in Iceland 1990-2006].
OBJECTIVE
Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a congenital narrowing of the aorta, distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery. Treatment consists of surgical excision but balloon angioplasty is also a treatment option for selected patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical outcome in children operated for CoA in Iceland.


METHODS
All Icelandic children (<18 yrs.) operated for CoA in Iceland between 1990 and 2006. Patients operated abroad (n=17) or managed conservatively (n=12) were excluded. Mean follow up period was 8.5 +/- 4.3 years.


RESULTS
Of 67 children diagnosed with CoA, 38 were operated on in Iceland (mean age 36 +/- 58 months, and 22 male and 16 female patients), 10 required immediate surgery for cardiac failure and eight were diagnosed incidentally. Extended end-to-end anastomosis was the most common procedure (n=31). Subclavian-flap aortoplasty was performed in seven patients. Average operation time was 134 min. and mean aortic closure time was 21 +/- 9 min. Hypertension (58%) and heart failure (11%) were the most common postoperative complications. Recoarctation developed 35 +/- 56 months after surgery in seven patients (18%) and was successfully treated with balloon angioplasty. There were no operative deaths and no patients developed paraplegia. One patient suffered an ischemic injury to the brachial plexus. Today all of the patients are alive, except for one patient that died four months after surgery from heart failure.


CONCLUSIONS
Majority of Icelandic patients with CoA are operated on in Iceland with excellent outcome, both regarding short term complications and long term survival.
Sverrir I
SI
Gunnarsson
Bjarni
B
Torfason
Gunnlaugur
G
Sigfússon
Hródmar
H
Helgason
Tómas
T
Gudbjartsson
D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D033162:Incidental Findings; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality