Early and late results of aortoplasty with a left subclavian flap for coarctation of the aorta in infancy.

Between February, 1969, and December, 1976, 45 consecutive infants younger than 6 months old underwent aortoplasty with a subclavian flap for the relief of coarctation of the aorta. All infants had persistence of the ductus arteriosus, and 58 percent had associated intracardiac anomalies. The over-all hospital mortality rate was 24 percent, nad no deaths occurred in infants with coarctation associated with patent ductus arteriosus only. All the deaths were in the group of patients under 2 months of age who had associated intracardiac defects. Follow-up over a 7 year period shows no clinical, hemodynamic, or angiographic evidence of recoarctation in any of the survivors.