Successful balloon angioplasty of a coarctation in an infant <500 g.

We describe the first successful balloon angioplasty of a coarctation in a 460-g newborn infant with coarctation of the aorta and heart failure. A coronary angioplasty catheter was positioned across the coarctation via a transumbilical approach. The waist of the balloon disappeared on maximal inflation and there was an increase in blood pressure distal to the coarctation and the clinical status improved. A ductus arteriosus was ligated 4 days after angioplasty.