Endovascular treatment of late thoracic aortic aneurysms after surgical repair of congenital aortic coarctation in childhood

Surgical and endovascular treatment of late post-coarctation repair aortic aneurysms: results from an international multicenter study

OBJECTIVE

Formation of post-aortic coarctation aneurysms (pCoAA) is well described in the literature and carries a significant risk of rupture and death. Treatment strategies include open surgical, hybrid, and endovascular repair dependent on clinical presentation, risk assessment, and anatomy. The aim of this study is to report early and mid-term results of open surgical and endovascular repair of pCoAA.

METHODS

This is an international multicenter retrospective study including patients who underwent open surgical or endovascular repair for pCoAA between 2000 and 2021 at 14 highly specialized academic cardiovascular centers. The pre-, intra-, and postoperative data were recorded and analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 74 patients [46 male, median age 44 years-old (IQR, 35-53)] underwent pCoAA repair. All patients had previously undergone surgical repair of aortic coarctation (CoA) at a median age of 11 years-old for the index procedure (IQR, 7-17). The most common first surgical correction was synthetic patch aortoplasty in 48 patients, followed by graft interposition in 11. Median pCoAA diameter was 54 mm (IQR, 44-63). The median time from the CoA repair to the pCoAA diagnosis was 33 years (IQR, 25-40). A total of 33 patients had symptoms at presentation, including thoracic or back pain in eight. Open surgical repair was performed in 28 patients, including four frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedures and one Bentall. The remaining 46 patients underwent endovascular repair of the pCoAA. Two in-hospital deaths were observed (one FET and one endovascular). After a median follow-up of 50 months (IQR, 14-127), there was a total of seven reinterventions.

CONCLUSIONS

This international multicenter study demonstrates that patients with pCoAA can be safely treated with either open surgical or endovascular interventions. Since the median time between the coarctation repair and the aneurysm formation was over 30 years, life-long surveillance of these patients is warranted.

Endovascular Repair of a Descending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm in a Pediatric Patient with Tuberous Sclerosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Aortic aneurysm in children is rare, but has been described in the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) population. While surgical repair has been utilized as the primary means of intervention, we present the first known case reporting exclusion of a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm with percutaneous covered stent implantation in a pediatric patient with TSC. A review of the literature is also included herein.

Coarctation of the Aorta: Strategies for Improving Outcomes

Coarctation of the aorta is a common congenital heart defect through which management has rapidly evolved over the last few decades. The role of transcatheter-based therapies is expanding and seems to be an effective treatment option for coarctation, especially in adults. Patients with prior coarctation repair are at risk of long-term complications related to prior surgeries and associated congenital heart defects, in particular, the risk of restenosis and aortic aneurysm development related to the timing and mode of prior intervention. This article outlines the evaluation and management of adults with unrepaired coarctation and patients after coarctation repair.