Cheatham-Platinum stent for native and recurrent aortic coarctation in children and adults: immediate and early follow-up results

Objective: To present our institutional experience of endovascular Cheatham-Platinum stent implantation in children and adults with native and recurrent aortic coarctation. Methods: Between August 2007 and November 2009, 45 patients had aortic coarctation treated with 47 stents implantation. We preferred primarily stent implantation in adult patient with coarctation, in children more than five years-old it is preferred in cases of aneurysm, subatretic or blind coarctation and coarctation with patent ductus arteriosus or in restenosis. Files of stent-implanted patients were retrospectively analyzed in terms of patients’ demographic features, echocardiographic and angiographic findings both before and after procedure. Patients grouped as Group 1: native coarctation and Group 2: recoarctation developed after either surgery or balloon angioplasty. Findings of the cases’ were compared using paired and unpaired Student’s t, Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests. Results: Sixteen covered and 31 bare totally 47 balloon expandable stents were implanted in 45 patients. The mean follow up duration was 12.1±7.1, median 11 months (2-29 months). There was no procedure related death. In two patients two stents were implanted in tandem. While the coarctation of the aorta was native in 26 patients (functionally interrupted aortic arch in one), recoarctation was detected in 7 patients after surgery, in 8 patients after balloon angioplasty, in 4 patients both after surgery and balloon angioplasty. One patient had functionally interrupted aortic arch perforated with guide wire and then covered stent implanted. The mean age 12.2±5.9 years (5-33 years) and mean body mass index was 21±3.7 kg/m2 (14.8-31 kg/m2). Considering all cases, a statistically significant decrease in both the invasive and echocardiographic gradients (p<0.001 for both) and statistically significant increase in lesion diameter (p<0.001) were detected. The decrease in invasive and echocardiographic gradients and increase in lesion diameter is statistically significant in each group also (p<0.001, <0.001 and <0.001 for both groups, respectively). Before the procedure, the invasive gradient was significantly higher and the lesion diameter was significantly lower in group I than in group II (p=0.002 and p=0.005, respectively). Also the percentage of decrease in gradient and increase in diameter was statistically higher in group 1 than in group 2 (p=0.04 and p=0.04). Conclusion: Our early and short- term follow-up results indicate that stent implantation is safe and very effective in reducing coarctation gradient and increasing lesion diameter both in native coarctation and recoarctation.