Covered CP Stents for the Prevention or Treatment of Aortic Wall Injury Associated With Coarctation of the Aorta

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a congenital abnormality producing obstruction to blood flow through the aorta. Coarctation can occur in isolation, in association with bicuspid aortic valve or with major cardiac malformations. CoA accounts for 5-8% of the 8/1000 (4-6/10,000) children born with congenital heart disease. Most CoA is newly diagnosed in childhood; < 25% recognized beyond 10 yrs. CoA is mostly repaired in childhood by surgery or by balloon catheter dilation. Recurrence rates range from 5-20%. Recurrence is often not recognized until adolescence. Balloon expandable stents have become the predominant therapy in the USA and Europe for CoA treatment in this age group. There are no FDA approved stents for this use. Biliary stents are currently being used off label. Enrollment into a trial of bare metal Cheatham Platinum (CP) Stents, designed for use in CoA, is completed. The Coarctation of the Aorta Stent Trial (COAST) aims to confirm safety and efficacy of CP Stent for native and recurrent CoA. There are CoA patients with clinical situations that place them at high risk of aortic wall injury during bare metal stenting. Extreme narrowing, genetic aortic wall weakness and advanced age are examples. Patients may present with aortic wall injury (aneurysm) related to prior CoA repair. The occurrence after surgical repair is 3-4% and after balloon dilation 10-20%. Repair of these aneurysms is surgically challenging. The use of fabric-covered CP Stents to prevent or repair aortic wall injury has become the treatment of choice in Europe and recently in the US through the FDA Compassionate Use process. There are no alternative devices available in the US. COAST II will test safety and efficacy of Covered CP Stents to repair or prevent aortic wall injury associated with CoA. Funding Source-FDA OOPD