Coarctation of the Aorta

Overview

In coarctation of the aorta, the large artery that pumps oxygenated (red) blood from your heart to the rest of your body is constricted or narrowed. Coarctation of the aorta occurs mostly in men and boys and is a fairly common congenital (from birth) heart defect. This congenital cardiovascular defect reduces blood flow and can be mild to severe. Mild cases may be diagnosed in early adulthood.

More than half of those diagnosed with aortic coarctation also have a bicuspid aortic valve. You may have other heart defects as well, such as mitral valve abnormalities, ventricular septal defects (VSD), left ventricular outflow tract obstruction or a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).

Why choose Mayo Clinic

• Experience. Doctors in Mayo Clinic's Center for Congenital Heart Disease care for adults and children who have every type of congenital heart defect.
• Expertise. Mayo Clinic doctors helped develop a way to correct coarctation of the aorta in the 1940s and have treated more than 1,000 children and adults who had this condition.
• Team approach. Integrated teams of doctors include cardiologists (doctors trained in heart disease), cardiovascular surgeons, anesthesiologists and other specialists who work closely to care for patients who have congenital heart disease.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic also ranks among the Best Children's Hospitals for heart and heart surgery.

Read more about coarctation of the aorta at MayoClinic.com.

Related book: Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life! book provides an easy-to-follow plan to prevent and conquer heart disease.