Coarctation of the aorta: management, indications for intervention, and advances in care.

OPINION STATEMENT: Coarctation of the aorta (CoAo) accounts for 9 % of congenital heart defects. Balloon angioplasty has been the conventional endovascular treatment of choice for both native and recurrent coarctation in adults. Recent advancement in stent technology with the development of the covered stents has enhanced the scope for percutaneous management of both native CoAo and post-surgical CoAo. Stent implantation provides better hemodynamic results with larger acute diameter gain and better long-term hemodynamic benefit. Stenting also decreases the incidence of aneurysm formation. The development of biodegradable stents may revolutionize the percutaneous management of coarctation, as the degradation of the stent scaffold within 6 months of implantation will further decrease the incidence of restenosis. In the future stenting may suffice and obviate the need for open repair. Until then, surgical repair of CoAo is the preferred method in both infants and complicated lesions, leaving stenting to adults with focal and uncomplicated disease.