PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Khoshhal, Saad Q. AU - Al-Mutairi, Mansour B. AU - Alnajjar, Abdulhameed A. AU - Morsy, Mohamed M. AU - Salem, Sherif AU - Salmi, Aseel A. AU - El-Harbi, Khaled M. AU - Abo-Haded, Hany M. TI - The efficacy and safety of percutaneous balloon angioplasty for aortic coarctation in children AID - 10.15537/smj.2020.11.25452 DP - 2020 Nov 01 TA - Saudi Medical Journal PG - 1252--1258 VI - 41 IP - 11 4099 - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/11/1252.short 4100 - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/11/1252.full SO - Saudi Med J2020 Nov 01; 41 AB - Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of balloon angioplasty (BAP) procedure for treatment of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) in children.Methods: A retrospective study included 27 consecutive children, underwent BAP for either native-CoA (Na-CoA) or recoarctation (Re-CoA). Medical records, echocardiographic findings, angiographic and hemodynamic data were collected from the hospital database. Follow-up was scheduled at 1, 3, 6, 12 months after the procedure. The study took place over a period of 4.5 years, from April 2014 to January 2019, in Madinah Cardiac Center, Madinah, Northwest region, Saudi Arabia.Results: The mean age of patients was 11.86±8.96 months. Seven children had Na-CoA and 20 children had Re-CoA. The success rate of the procedure was achieved in 23 children (85%), as BAP reduced the mean systolic pressure gradient across the CoA (Na-CoA: from 45.28± 18.3 to 9.8± 6.57 mm Hg, p=0.0009), and in Re-CoA groups (from 42.48±16.7 to 10.9±8.5 mm Hg, p<0.0001). In mid-term follow-up, the need for re-intervention occurred in 8 children of the cohort (3 children [42.8%] from the Na-CoA group, and 5 children [25%] from the Re-CoA group).Conclusions: Balloon angioplasty is considered a safe procedure for the management of CoA, but its efficacy remains questionable especially for young infants with Na-CoA type. However, it is a reliable option for managing Re-CoA children, with a lower rate of future re-intervention.