Transcatheter Intervention for Coarctation of Aorta: Current Status

Coarctation of aorta (CoA) is an important, treatable cause of heart failure in neonates and of secondary hypertension in adolescents and adults. Surgery has remained as the gold standard in neonates but catheter intervention has usurped it in children, adolescents, and adults. Introduction of covered stents has made the intervention safer. Since it usually appears to be a discrete lesion, at first glance, it attracts interventional cardiologists. However, CoA intervention is associated with significant immediate and long-term complications. Thus, it is imperative for the interventionist to understand the minutiae of the intervention, how to perform it correctly, and how to minimize complications. This review aims to provide complete description of intervention in neonates, adolescents, and adults in one place and also to guide interventional cardiologists perform safer intervention especially in subatretic and atretic CoA.