Coarctation of the Aorta

Overview

What is coarctation of the aorta?

The word “coarctation” means narrowing. Children with coarctation of the aorta have an abnormal narrowing of the aorta, which is the major artery that leaves the heart and delivers oxygenated blood to the rest of the body.

When the aorta is too narrow, the heart must work harder to push the blood past the narrow section, like a kink in a garden hose. This makes the heart push harder and increases the blood pressure in the ventricle. Eventually the increased pressure will cause the heart to enlarge.

The pressure in the aorta after the coarctation, or the kink in the hose, is lower, causing all of the organs and the lower extremities of the body to get blood at a much lower pressure than normal.

The severity of the condition depends on how narrow the aorta is. The more narrow, the less blood that can pass through to the body and the worse the symptoms may be.

Who gets coarctation of the aorta?

Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital condition, meaning a child is born with it. The coarctation forms when a child is developing in the womb. Children with Turner syndrome are at higher risk for coarctation of the aorta. Coarctation of the aorta may be associated with other heart defects like ventricular septal defect (VSD) and aortic stenosis.

Programs & Treatments

How is coarctation of the aorta treated?

Surgery is most often recommended to repair coarctation of the aorta. This surgery is performed by a pediatric cardiac surgeon. Depending on the severity of the narrowing, the surgery may be performed in early infancy shortly after birth or in the first few years of life. 

Surgical repair is accomplished most often by removing the narrowed area and sewing the two ends of the aorta together. 

Occasionally a child may not be diagnosed until late childhood or adulthood. In older children or adults, a cardiac catheterization procedure may be used to treat the coarctation. During this procedure, the cardiologist will widen the aorta by blowing up a balloon in the artery and then putting a metal stent in the aorta to keep it open.

After the procedure, your child will stay in the hospital for about 3 to 5 days as our team monitors how he or she is healing.

Learn why Children’s Hospital Colorado is the best place for your child’s heart surgery.

Recovery from surgery

After surgery, most children with coarctation of the aorta live healthy, normal lives. However, they will have an increased risk of high blood pressure later in life. Rarely, there is also a chance that the condition might reoccur because of normal growth or heart disease. But, the coarctation can be repaired again by surgery or by cardiac catheterization.

Signs & Symptoms

What are signs and symptoms of coarctation of the aorta?

Nearly half the children with coarctation of the aorta will develop visible symptoms within the first few days of life. In some milder cases, symptoms might not be apparent until adolescence.

Symptoms of coarctation of the aorta in infants include:

• Paleness
• Sweating
• Difficulty breathing
• Poor weight gain

Symptoms in older children are:

• Poor growth
• High blood pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Fainting
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Leg cramps
• Having cold feet and legs

If your child has these symptoms, please contact your doctor.

Diagnosis & Tests

How will my child’s doctor diagnose coarctation of the aorta?

Children are usually diagnosed with coarctation of the aorta when they are infants. However, in some people the heart condition might not be discovered until they are adults.

In order to confirm that your child has coarctation of the aorta, your cardiologist will need to do tests to identify the location of the condition along the aorta and evaluate its severity. Common tests for this condition are:

• Echocardiogram (ECHO) - This is the most common test used to diagnose coarctation of the aorta.
• Cardiac CT Scan and MRI
• Diagnostic cardiac catheterization

After your child is diagnosed, your pediatric cardiologist will develop the best treatment plan for your child. At Children's Hospital Colorado Colorado Heart Institute, we are dedicated to providing the best cardiac care for your child, along with support for your family.

Helpful resources

If you’d like to learn more about coarctation of the aorta, visit:

• PubMed Health
• Medline Plus from the U.S. National Library of Medicine
• American Heart Association