Treatment of Coarctation of the Aorta in a 40-Day-Old Infant through Angioplasty and Stenting: A Case Report

Background: Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital heart disease that can lead to heart failure and severe symptoms during infancy. In many cases, these infants are candidates for surgery or correction of balloon angioplasty of coarctation, which would often lead to the recurrence of stenosis. This article aimed to introduce a successful case of angioplasty and stenting in a 40-day-old infant with coarctation of the aorta and severe heart failure. Case Report: A 40-day-old infant weighing 4300 g with tachycardia, acute respiratory distress, loud second heart sound (loud S2), and a mild systolic murmur was referred to the Kerman Cardiac Center. Echocardiographic evaluation revealed left ventricular cardiomyopathy, severe coarctation of the aorta, and ejection fraction (EF) of 30%. The pulmonary artery pressure gradient was 50 mm Hg, and the pulses of the lower limb were weak. Given the patient’s conditions, low weight, and young age being less than 3 months, angioplasty with stenting was performed. Despite the infant’s young age and low weight, the stent was placed successfully, and the patient was discharged after 48 hours in good condition, with no complications reported in the follow-ups. Conclusion: Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital heart defect that will lead to heart failure and death if it is left untreated. Accordingly, early recognition and timely interventions are effective in managing infants with this disease. In this study, stent placement in the infant was safe, improved the patient’s symptoms, and prevented interventions.