Dual-balloon angioplasty of recoarctation of the aorta.

Percutaneous balloon angioplasty is a successful method for treating recoarctation of the aorta after surgical repair. The procedure is usually performed with small balloons on 4 or 5 French (Fr) shafts (Gruentzig or Cook) in infants or large balloons on 8 or 9 Fr shafts (Meditech or Mansfield) in older children. In certain children, however, the 8 or 9 Fr shafts may be too large for insertion in the femoral artery, and the 4 or 5 Fr shafts may not carry a balloon large enough to effectively dilate the area of restenosis. We describe a case involving a 9-kg infant in whom recoarctation of the aorta was successfully treated with two small side-by-side balloon angioplasty systems.