Goretex patch aortoplasty for coarctation in children: Nuclear magnetic resonance assessment at 7 years

From 1979 to 1990, 56 children ranging between 4 days and 16 years of age (mean 73 ± 51 months) underwent Goretex patch aortoplasty for coarctation of the aorta. The mean weight at operation was 20.2 ± 3.5 kg (range 3.3-42 kg). Forty-two patients had primary repair, and the remaining 14 had reoperation for re-coarctation. The aorta was opened through a standard left thoracotomy, the posterior fibrous ridge was partially excised when it was prominent, and a large patch from a Goretex tube was sutured into place. The postoperative complications were as follows: paradoxical hypertension in 14 cases, massive haemorrhage due to aortic wall rupture in a diabetic child, and intestinal bleeding in 1 case. There were no early deaths and only 1 case of late death, which was not related to coarctation repair (mortality rate 1.8%). The average follow-up was 48 ± 26 months. Continuous wave-Doppler examination at rest showed no arm-leg systolic gradient in 52 cases and a gradient of about 15 mmHg in 4 cases. Graded exercise testing showed only 1 case with an arm-leg gradient higher than 35 mmHg. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging, performed on 26 patients at a mean of 7 years from operation, showed excellent morphology and size of the aortoplasty. No cases of re-coarctation or late aneurysm formation were found. We conclude that Goretex patch aortoplasty can be performed effectively and safely in children. Nuclear magnetic resonance provides high resolution imaging of the coarctation repair site.