Coarctation of the aorta
Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital narrowing of the main artery leaving the heart. Treated well and early, most patients live a normal life.
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What coarctation of the aorta is
Coarctation is a narrowing of the aorta, usually just after the artery that supplies the left arm. Blood pressure builds up above the narrowing and the lower body gets less flow.
It is a congenital defect — present from birth — and it is often discovered in childhood, though milder forms can surface in adults during a routine blood-pressure check.
Symptoms and how it is noticed
In infants, a tight coarctation causes poor feeding, breathlessness and heart strain. In older children and adults it is often found because blood pressure in the arms is much higher than in the legs.
Some people feel headaches, cold legs or leg cramps with exercise.
- High blood pressure in the arms, normal or low in the legs
- Weak or delayed femoral pulses
- Headaches and dizziness
- Leg cramps or cold feet with exercise
- In babies — poor feeding and rapid breathing
How it is diagnosed
The first clue is usually a blood-pressure difference between arms and legs, or a murmur. An echocardiogram confirms the narrowing, and a CT or MRI angiography maps its exact position and length before any treatment.
Treatment: surgery or stenting
In children, the standard is surgery — removing the narrow segment and joining the aorta back together. Most children are home within a week.
In selected adults, angioplasty with a stent can widen the narrowing without open surgery. Which option is right depends on age and anatomy, and your child or you would be assessed by the treating cardiac team in Delhi NCR.
Outcomes
Results are excellent when the defect is corrected early, and long-term survival approaches that of the general population.
If treatment is delayed, high blood pressure can persist even after repair, which is one reason early referral matters.
What to send us
Photographs taken on your phone are fine. Reports in Arabic, Russian or Bengali are fine — we translate them ourselves.
Most useful
- Coronary angiogram report, and the images if you have them
- Echocardiogram report
- Recent ECG
- Discharge summary from any admission
Also helpful
- Blood tests including HbA1c and lipid profile
- Kidney function tests
- A list of your current medicines and doses
- Your age, weight and whether you smoke
Questions
In some adults, yes — angioplasty with a stent can widen the narrowing. In children, surgery is usually the standard, safest option.
Allow 2–3 weeks: a week or so in hospital after surgery, a short recovery period, and a follow-up before travelling home.
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