[Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with a balloon catheter in native aortic coarctation: long-term experience].

: Between August 1988 and October 1993, 19 patients with native aortic coarctation were subjected to transluminal percutaneous balloon angioplasty, 12 of which were men (63.1%) and 7 were women (36.9%), with an average age of 22 +/- 7.7 years (r- 16 to 52), all of whom suffered from arterial hypertension at the time of the procedure, and a systolic pressure of 190 +/- 32.2 mmHg (r- 160 to 240). The gradient of the systolic pressure (GPS) was 77 +/- 0.9 mm, the average diameter of the balloon catheters that were used was 18.3 +/- 1.7 mm (r- 15 to 20). For all the patients, the procedure was carried out under local anesthesia and the usual Seldinger technique. After carrying out the procedure, the GPS as well as the blood pressure dropped to 5.0 +/- 4.1 mmHg and 130 +/- 20.6 mmHg, respectively. In similar manner, the enlargement of the ring displayed an increase of 4.2 +/- 0.9 to 14.1 +/- 1.6 mm. There were no complications in any of the procedures. During the follow-up, 11 patients were catheterized again in a period of 24.7 +/- 12.6 months (r- 10 to 48) with GPS of 5 +/- 2 mmHg. Besides, an increase of 15.4 +/- 1.2 mm in the ring's diameter was observed. In these patients, there was no evidence of the aneurysms at the dilatation site. Of the rest of the patients under control, 17 of whom have been able to maintain normal blood pressure without medical treatment, and only two required low dosages of antihypertensive treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)