Your child’s diagnosis
Coarctation of the aorta
01
How blood flows
Coarctation of the aorta
The same region in both views. The usual view is a comparison, not a treatment result.
Coarctation of the aorta
- Less oxygen
- Mixed blood
- More oxygen
Step 1 of 3
A branch before the narrowing
The left ventricle pumps into the aorta. The head and arm arteries branch off before the narrowed section shown here.
How to read this map
Follow the arrows to see connections. This is a map, not the shape or position of a heart. Both sides work together; the story follows one part at a time. A crossing with a white gap is not a connection; a dot marks a junction. With story controls focused, use left/right arrows, Home or End.
A close-up of a common pattern after birth, with upper-body branches before the narrowing. The location, severity and effects vary. Severe newborn coarctation can depend on an open ductus arteriosus; that additional connection is outside this view. The narrowing is in an artery, not a valve. Animation does not measure flow or pressure.
Colours describe this example: blue means less oxygen, red more oxygen, and purple mixing. Blood is always red in real life. Line widths and animation do not measure flow, pressure, oxygen saturation or severity.
The neutral outline shows the vessel wall. Higher-oxygen blood follows the red route through its opening.
Diagram sources and scope
A close-up of a common pattern after birth, with upper-body branches before the narrowing. The location, severity and effects vary. Severe newborn coarctation can depend on an open ductus arteriosus; that additional connection is outside this view. The narrowing is in an artery, not a valve. Animation does not measure flow or pressure.
Original Heart Up Close connection map · Source check: 26 October 2026 · Independent clinical review pending.
Coarctation of the aorta
- A branch before the narrowing. The left ventricle pumps into the aorta. The head and arm arteries branch off before the narrowed section shown here.
- Find the narrowed artery. Coarctation is a narrowed section of the aorta itself. It is beyond the upper-body branch in this common pattern.
- Blood continues toward the lower body. Blood must pass through the narrowing to reach the lower body. The left ventricle works against extra resistance; a significant narrowing can reduce lower-body blood flow.
A close-up of a common pattern after birth, with upper-body branches before the narrowing. The location, severity and effects vary. Severe newborn coarctation can depend on an open ductus arteriosus; that additional connection is outside this view. The narrowing is in an artery, not a valve. Animation does not measure flow or pressure.
02
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis and tests
Coarctation may be suspected during pregnancy, but it is not always clear then. After birth, weak pulses in the legs or signs of illness may lead to tests. Less severe narrowing may be found much later. A doctor may hear a murmur, an extra sound during the heartbeat, or find high blood pressure. Some older children have tired legs or headaches. Others have no symptoms.
Doctors and nurses compare pulses and blood pressure in the arms and legs. An echocardiogram, or echo, is an ultrasound scan of the heart. It checks the aorta and nearby parts of the heart. MRI or CT scans can give a fuller picture of the artery, especially in older children.
Ask whether one short section is narrow or a longer part of the aortic arch, the curved part of the artery, is also small.
Care and follow-up
A newborn may need medicine to keep the arterial duct open while treatment is planned. Surgery can remove or widen the narrow section. A balloon passed through a thin tube, called a catheter, is another option in some cases. Sometimes a small support, called a stent, helps hold the artery open. These treatments are often used in older children or when narrowing returns.
The choice depends on age, how the artery is formed and previous treatment.
The artery can narrow again. Blood pressure may stay high even after a successful repair. Regular specialist checks look at the aorta and blood pressure. Scan results and symptoms both matter. Ask about the long-term plan. Repairing the narrowing does not always end the need for care.
Daily life
Ask whether blood pressure needs checking locally and who receives those results. Discuss PE and sports with the heart team, especially activities involving heavy effort. If treatment is planned, ask how the location of the procedure affects recovery and returning to school.
03
Questions to ask
Save the questions you want to take to your next appointment. You can edit them in your Journal.
- How long is the narrowed section of the aorta, and could you show us its position on a drawing?
- Is the curved part of the aorta or the aortic valve also affected, and does that change the plan?
- Why is this treatment the best fit for our child’s age and heart, and what alternatives have you considered?
- How will our child’s blood pressure be checked after treatment, and do we need to do anything at home?
- How would you recognise if the narrowing returned, and what treatment might be considered if that happened?
Sources and review
Sources checked 9 October 2026. Independent clinical review pending.
- British Heart Foundation: Coarctation of the aorta
Accessed 9 October 2026
- Children’s Heart Federation: Coarctation of the Aorta Information Sheet
Accessed 9 October 2026