title: Mortality and Operative Management for Patients Undergoing Repair of Coarctation of the Aorta: A Retrospective Review of the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The surgical mortality associated with repair of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) over a 25-year period was examined. Risk factors for discharge mortality were evaluated as well as the surgical techniques and its evolution over the period studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Utilizing the pediatric cardiac care consortium, we conducted a retrospective review of patients less than 18 years of age submitted between 1982 and 2007. Variables reviewed included weight at birth, age and weight at the operation, type of coarctation repair, associated cardiac anomalies, year of repair, center-specific volume, postoperative length of stay, and in-hospital mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 7,860 patients submitted with the procedural code for repair of CoA. Forty-five percent underwent repair within 30 days of life (n = 3,549), including 1,444 patients who were operated upon within the first 7 days of life (18% of all patients). Seventy percent (n = 5,528) of patients had an isolated CoA (iCoA). The overall mortality for the entire group was 4.2% (n = 331), decreasing to 2.0% (n = 114) for iCoA (P < .0001). A hypoplastic aortic arch occurred in 4.6%, with a mortality of 10.6%. Coarctectomy with an end-to-end reconstruction was the most common procedure performed. Multivariable modeling for discharge mortality was significant for diagnosis of ventricular septal defect, operative weight, operative year, and diagnosis of aortic arch hypoplasia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Operative repair of CoA is accomplished with a low mortality, although certain subgroups have persistently inferior outcomes. The techniques utilized for aortic reconstruction have evolved, with coarctectomy and an end-to-end anastomosis becoming the dominant surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA jdstlouis@cmh.edu.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: St Louis
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Jeremiah S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Menk
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Biostatistical Design and Analysis Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Lazaros K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Kochilas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000002:abnormalities; D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000601:surgery; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality
keywords: coarctation; congenital heart surgery; databases (all types); morbidity); outcomes (include mortality