About this topic
The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body. It carries oxygen-rich blood from the heart to different parts of the body. Coarctation of the aorta, or CoA, is the narrowing of the artery. It is most often present at birth. It happens during the babys growth when inside the womb. ‚
Repair of the CoA is done to correct or remove the narrowed part of aorta. When this is done, normal flow of blood in restored and the signs of CoA will disappear. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask the doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what to do to care for your child.
- Monitor and write down your childs blood pressure. Your doctor will teach you how to do this. Tell your doctor if your child has reports of high blood pressure.
- Make sure that your child takes the drugs as ordered by the doctor.
- Talk to the doctor about how to care for your child's cut site. Ask the doctor about:
- When you should change the bandages
- When your child may take a bath or shower
- When your child may go back to normal activities like daycare and school
- Take your child for small walks around the block. This will help prevent blood clots.
- Tell your child to limit the use of stairs for the first 2 to 3 days after the surgery.
- Let your child rest when tired.
What follow-up care is needed?
- The doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits. The doctor will check for any more narrowing.
- If your child has stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 1 to 2 weeks.
- Your child will always need to have check ups with a heart specialist, even as an adult.
- Certain tests may be done and looked at before the doctor will want your child to play sports or lift heavier objects.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent infection
Will physical activity be limited?
Physical activity may be limited until your child has fully recovered from the surgery. Ask the doctor what is the right amount of activity for your child. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- Encourage your child to eat a healthy diet.
- You may need to adjust how much your child drinks. You may need to limit salt intake.
What problems could happen?
- Narrowing of the blood vessels happens again
- Bleeding
- Infection
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
There is no known way to prevent this condition. ‚
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Chest pain
- Trouble breathing
- Narrowing of the aorta happens again. Signs of this may include high blood pressure, headache.
- Health problem is not better or your child is feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my child's cut site.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has trouble breathing, high blood pressure, or a headache.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has swelling, redness, or warmth around the wound.
Where can I learn more?
American Heart Association ‚
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/AboutCongenitalHeartDefects/Coarctation-of-the-Aorta-CoA_UCM_307022_Article.jsp ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/heart/coa.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚