Background: Eleven patients with surgically treated aortic coarctation were evaluated in terms of associated anomalies, surgical therapy, preoperative and early postoperative blood pressures and the effect of surgical therapy on blood pressure was assessed.

Methods: All patients (5 males, 6 females; mean age 12 years; range 1.5 to 27 years) were followed up for a mean period of 3 months (range 1 to 4 months). Resection and endto- end anastomosis + patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation was applied to four patients, patchplasty + PDA ligation was applied to two patients, and patchplasty to five patients. Mean blood pressures were measured and echocardiography was performed preoperatively and on postoperative first day, 7th day and 3rd month.

Results: In-hospital mortality was not observed. Postoperative blood pressures of six patients younger than 14 years of age were lower than the postoperative blood pressures of five patients who were older than 14 years of age. All patients required antihypertensive treatment except two patients who were 1.5 and 2 years old.

Conclusion: Surgical treatment is the gold standard in aortic coarctation. Patients with aortic coarctation should be diagnosed in the early period before hypertension develops. Otherwise hypertension could persist despite surgical therapy in older ages.

Keywords : Aortic coarctation/surgery; hypertension