Transdiaphragmatic graft replacement for coarctation suprarenal abdominal aorta

A 17-year-old boy was referred to us with severe hypertension, headache and intermittent lower extremity claudication. Approximately 3 months prior to admission, he began to experience headache and pain in the posterior aspec t of the right thigh and calf upon walking only 20 m. Occasionally, similar symptoms developed in the left leg which were nearly always of the same in tensity as on the right. Arterial blood pressure on admission to our hospit al was 220/140 mmHg in the arm. After physical examination and diagnostic t ests, he was operated on with the diagnosis of coarctation of the abdominal aorta. The purpose of this paper is to report on a patient having an area of coarctation just above the level of renal arteries who presented with se vere hypertension and intermittent claudication and in whom there was compl ete relief of signs and symptoms after appropriate surgical intervention.