A 46-year-old member asked:

Can you cure coarctation of the aorta?

3 doctor answers11 doctors weighed in
Dr. Louis Grenzer
Cardiology 57 years experience
Yes, sortof: Well the treatment is surgery to remove the blockage which will correct the problem. So if there is successful surgery, the problem has been "cured." of course, if there are complications such as persisting high blood pressure or surgical complicatons, perhaps the word cure is not quite appopriate. And the patient will have a scar.
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Dr. Richard Sanders
General Surgery 69 years experience
Yes: It requires an operation to replace or bypass the narrow area in the aorta. However, it is important to know the cause of the coarctation. If it is marfan's disease surgery may have early or late complications because of weaknesses in the tissues of the aorta.
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Dr. Sarosh Batlivala
Pediatric Cardiology 18 years experience
Can Correct: No congenital heart disease can be "cured". We can fully correct some types though, and coarctation is one of those. But we can never make the heart/vessel the same as if the lesion never occurred (which is the definition of cure). Again, semantic but important point because anyone with coarctation should have life-long follow-up with a cardiologist.
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Similar questions

A 44-year-old member asked:

What is coarctation of the aorta?

4 doctor answers7 doctors weighed in
Dr. Barton Cook
Pediatric Cardiology 33 years experience
Congenital defect: It is a narrowing of the aorta, the major blood vessel that branches off your heart and delivers blood to your body. It is usually congenital, and may range from mild to severe. Surgery may be required as a newborn if critical. It may not be detected until older, depending on severity. It often occurs along with other heart defects. It requires surgery or catheter balloon and/or stenting.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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Last updated Aug 19, 2017

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