Life expectancy and quality of life are therefore the same or very close to that of the normal population, but check ups are recommended so that those few percent who need further treatment get it in time. History
The condition was largely unidentified until the mid-20th century. History of the condition prior to 1945 has been understood via post-mortem records, the first series of which was published in 1928, which examined cases as far back as 1791. The first surgery for coarctation of the aorta was performed by Clarence Crafoord and G. Nylin on October 19, 1944 in Stockholm, Sweden on a 12-year old boy.An anecdotal history statement describes the first diagnosed case of the coarctation of the aorta in Julia the daughter of the French poet Alphonse de Lamartine after the autopsy in 1832 in Beirut, the referenced manuscript still exists in one of the Maronite monasteries in Mount Lebanon. References
Further reading
Toro-Salazar, Olga H; Steinberger, Julia; Thomas, William; Rocchini, Albert P; Carpenter, Becky; Moller, James H (2002). "Long-term follow-up of patients after coarctation of the aorta repair". The American Journal of Cardiology. 89 (5): 541–7. doi:10.1016/S0002-9149(01)02293-7. PMID 11867038. Brouwer, Rene M.H.J. ; Erasmus, Michiel E.; Ebels, Tjark; Eijgelaar, Anton (1994). "Influence of age on survival, late hypertension, and recoarctation in elective aortic coarctation repair. Including long-term results after elective aortic coarctation repair with a follow-up from 25 to 44 years". The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 108 (3): 525–31. doi:10.1016/S0022-5223(94)70264-0. PMID 8078345. Jenkins, N.P. (1999).
Coarctation of the aorta (CoA or CoAo), also called aortic narrowing, is a congenital condition whereby the aorta is narrow, usually in the area where the ductus arteriosus (ligamentum arteriosum after regression) inserts. The word coarctation means "pressing or drawing together; narrowing". Coarctations are most common in the aortic arch. The arch may be small in babies with coarctations. Other heart defects may also occur when coarctation is present, typically occurring on the left side of the heart. When a patient has a coarctation, the left ventricle has to work harder. Since the aorta is narrowed, the left ventricle must generate a much higher pressure than normal in order to force enough blood through the aorta to deliver blood to the lower part of the body. If the narrowing is severe enough, the left ventricle may not be strong enough to push blood through the coarctation, thus resulting in a lack of blood to the lower half of the body. Physiologically its complete form is manifested as interrupted aortic arch. Classification
There are three types of aortic coarctations:
Preductal coarctation: The narrowing is proximal to the ductus arteriosus. Blood flow to the aorta that is distal to the narrowing is dependent on the ductus arteriosus; therefore severe coarctation can be life-threatening. Preductal coarctation results when an intracardiac anomaly during fetal life decreases blood flow through the left side of the heart, leading to hypoplastic development of the aorta. This is the type seen in approximately 5% of infants with Turner syndrome.