Endovascular treatment of aortic coarctation with a novel BeGraft aortic stent in children and young adults: a single-centre experience with short-term follow-up results

Objectives: We present our experience and outcomes with the BeGraft in the treatment of aortic coarctation in a predominantly paediatric population. Methods: This study includes a retrospective analysis of patients who had Begraft aortic stent implantation between 2018 and 2020 from a single centre. Results: The BeGraft aortic stent was used in 11 patients (7 males, 4 females) with a median age of 14 (13-21) years and a median weight of 65 (46-103) kg. Coarctation was native in five patients and recurrent in six patients. Median stent diameter and length were 16 mm and 38 mm, respectively. The median peak-to-peak pressure was 30 (12-55) mmHg before the procedure and 5 (0-17) mmHg after the procedure. The stenting procedure was successful in 10 of the 11 patients. Stent migration to the abdominal aorta occurred on post-procedure day 1 in the 21-year-old patient, who had previously undergone surgical closure of the ventricular septal defect and balloon angioplasty for coarctation. After repositioning failed, the stent was safely fixed in the abdominal aorta. Strut distortion also occurred during balloon retrieval in one patient, but no aneurysm or in-stent restenosis was observed at 1-year follow-up. The patients were followed for a median of 14 (4-25) months and none required redilation. Conclusions: Our initial results demonstrated that the BeGraft aortic stent effectively reduced the pressure gradient in selected native and recurrent cases. Despite advantages such as a smaller sheath and low profile, more experience and medium- to long-term results are needed.