Large Diameter Advanta V12 Covered Stent Trial for Coarctation of the Aorta: COARC Study

Background: Covered stent implantation for treatment of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is effective and can prevent aortic wall injury. Prospective studies with long-term follow-up, including imaging, are lacking. We report the acute and long-term outcomes for use of the Large Diameter Advanta V12 covered stent for treatment of native and recurrent CoA. Methods: A prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study was performed including 70 patients (43 male), median age 17 years, median weight 57.4 kg with CoA who underwent implantation of the Large Diameter Advanta V12 covered stent. Annual follow-up for 5 years included Doppler echocardiography to calculate diastolic velocity: systolic velocity ratio. Results: CoA diameter increased from 5.6±3.6 to 14.9±3.9 mm ( P <0.0001) and the pressure gradient decreased from 35.8±16.2 to 5.6±7.9 mm Hg ( P <0.0001). Preimplantation diastolic velocity:systolic velocity of 0.6±0.16 dropped to 0.34±0.13 ( P <0.0001) and was maintained at 5 years. Computed tomography angiograms at 12 months postimplantation demonstrated the stent:transverse arch diameter to be similar, 0.91±0.09 to postprocedure 0.86±0.14. Major adverse vascular events at 30 days and 12 months were 1.4% and 4.3%, respectively. Significant adverse events included three patients who required stent implantation to treat infolding. There were no mortalities. Conclusions: The Large Diameter Advanta V12 covered stent is safe and effective for the treatment of CoA with an immediate and sustained reduction of the pressure gradient over 12 months and 5 years as assessed by preimplantation and postimplantation Doppler echocardiography and 12-month computed tomography angiography. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT00978952. URL: http://www.anzctr.org.au ; Unique identifier: ACTRN12612000013864.