Dr Ranjit Jagtap Clinic: What is Coarctation Of The Aorta Repair Surgery and hiow it is treated?

 The Ram Mangal Heart Foundation founded by Dr Ranjit Jagtap is regarded for doing the best cardiac procedures, and one of them is coarctation of the aorta repair. Coarctation of the Aorta occurs when a portion of the aorta is extremely thin. The design resembles an hourglass timepiece. It can lead to problems like high blood pressure over time. They use a cut between the ribs on the left side of the chest to fix this.

What Is Aortic Coarctation and How Does It Happen?

Aortic coarctation is a constriction of the aorta. It is the primary blood conduit that carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart's left ventricle to all of the body's organs.

As the aorta arches inferiorly toward the chest and belly, coarctation most usually happens in a small stretch of the aorta just beyond where the arteries supplying the head and arms take off.

The ductus arteriosus is a blood artery in a foetus that contains unique tissue in its wall that causes it to close in the first hours or days after birth. The presence of additional ductal tissue extending into the neighbouring aorta can produce coarctation, which causes aortic constriction as the ductal tissue contracts.

The aortic arch may also be narrow in newborns with coarctation (hypoplastic). Other cardiac abnormalities can cause coarctation, which usually affects the left side of the heart. Bicuspid aortic valve and ventricular septal defect are the most prevalent coarctation defects. Coarctation can potentially be a sign of more serious single-ventricle heart abnormalities.

The left ventricle needs to work harder in the presence of a coarctation because it must generate a higher pressure than normal to drive blood through the narrow aorta segment to the lower half of the body.

If the constriction is severe, the ventricle may be unable to undertake this additional effort, leading to congestive heart failure or insufficient blood flow to the body's organs.

What are the signs and symptoms of aortic coarctation?

The severity of the constriction determines the symptoms. In moderate situations, the person may be symptom–free until they reach maturity. Adults may have exercise intolerance, headaches, shortness of breath, chest pain, nosebleeds, cold feet or leg soreness after exercise, or high blood pressure that is difficult to regulate (hypertension).

What is the treatment for aortic coarctation?

Surgery was the only therapy option for aortic coarctation twenty years ago. Although surgery is still the gold standard, people with this problem can also benefit from balloon angioplasty, stenting, stent grafting, as well as hybrid repair (a combination of open surgery and stent grafts). Various factors determines treatment options:

• patient's overall health
• the size and severity of the coarctation,
• any concomitant aneurysms or valve disease,
• the precise site of the coarctation.

Surgery

The surgeon can remove the constricted piece of the aorta and re-join the two ends when the coarctation is minimal. An end-to-end anastamosis is the most common surgical treatment for treating the illness.

According to Dr Ranjit jagtap News, various types of bypass surgery, in which a graft is stitched onto the aorta to reroute blood around the region of the lesion, are also available. A bypass can be used in conjunction with a valve repair or replacement treatment in patients with valve disease.

Angioplasty

Angioplasty is another alternative for treating aortic coarctation, and it is the recommended treatment at several medical institutes. A long, thin tube with a balloon on the end enters the aorta through the blood vessels. Then it enters through the groyne, similar to angioplasty for coronary artery disease. The balloon inflates to widen the aorta once the catheter reaches the coarctation. 

Care Following-Up

People with coarctation of the aorta should see a congenital heart disease expert on a regular basis. You should go for regular checkups at Dr Ranjit Jagtap Clinic which will include blood pressure monitoring and a clinical assessment. Moreover, every two to five years go for doppler ultrasonography and MRI scans on a regular basis.