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Coarctation of the Aorta: Surgical Treatment Options
Coarctation of the Aorta: Surgical Treatment OptionsBlood flows in and out of your heart through veins and arteries. The aorta is the large artery thatcarries blood from your heart to the rest of your body.Sometimes the aorta may not form correctly before birth. When part of the aorta is narrower thanusual it is called coarctation of the aorta. This is a type of birth defect that limits blood flow and makesthe heart work harder.Open-heart surgery may be done to fix the narrowed part of the aorta. This surgery may be donesoon after a child is born, or it may be done later in life.To begin the surgery, the surgeon will make a cut down the center or on the side of the chest.The heart may then be stopped with medicine. If so, a heart-lung machine will keep blood pumpingthroughout the body during the surgery.What happens next depends on the size of the problem area. If the narrowed area is short, thesurgeon can remove it and connect the remaining ends together. This procedure is called an end-toend anastomosis.If the narrowed area is long, a different technique may be needed.One option is for the surgeon to use a patch or a nearby artery to widen the area. These proceduresare called a patch aortoplasty or a subclavian flap aortoplasty.Another option is for the surgeon to use a tube called a graft to reroute blood around the narrowing.This is called a bypass graft repair.Your child’s heart surgeon will recommend the approach that is best for your child.When the repair is done, the surgeon will restart the heart if it was stopped and close the cut in thechest.Surgery is an effective treatment for coarctation of the aorta. Symptoms usually improve quickly aftersurgery.It’s recommended that babies and children with coarctation of the aorta get lifelong follow up care tokeep an eye out for any future heart problems.Page 1 ofThis program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
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