Open anatomical repair for primary coarctation of the aorta in adults

Objectives Although endovascular repair has become an alternative treatment for coarctation of the aorta (CoA) in adults, open repair provides concomitant repair of other cardiac complications, including post-stenotic aneurysm, ascending aortic aneurysm, and intracardiac diseases. We evaluated open anatomical repair for CoA repair in adults. Methods Eleven patients (6 men, age range 21–63 years) underwent primary CoA repair. Complicating conditions included post-stenotic aortic aneurysm in the descending aorta in 5 patients (45.5%) and ascending aortic aneurysm in 3 (27.3%). Two patients (18.2%) had a bicuspid aortic valve, and one (9.1%) had a quadricuspid aortic valve. Ventricular septal defect was detected in 1 patient (9.1%). Eight patients (72.7%) underwent descending aorta replacement through a left thoracotomy, comprising partial cardiopulmonary bypass in 4 and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in 4. Of those, the left subclavian artery was reconstructed in 4 patients. The remaining 3 patients (27.3%) underwent total arch replacement, through a median sternotomy in 1 and using a combination of median sternotomy and thoracotomy in 2. Results No in-hospital mortality was observed. No spinal cord ischemia or neurological events were encountered, but 1 patient (9.1%) who underwent CoA repair via median sternotomy and thoracotomy required prolonged ventilatory support for more than 48 h. During the follow-up of 90 months (interquartile range 65–124 months), no patient died or required reintervention for the repaired segment. Conclusions CoA in adults could be anatomically repaired with graft replacement both through the median sternotomy, the left thoracotomy, and the combination of both approaches, according to the complicated aortic or intracardiac lesions.