does the aortic arch grow after repair?
JL Myers, BA McConnell and JA Waldhausen Department of Surgery, Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey 17033. Infants with coarctation of the aorta frequently require a corrective operation during the first year of life. These patients frequently have a smaller than normal transverse aortic arch. Despite good repairs with different techniques, the proximal transverse aortic arch often remains smaller than normal. The hemodynamic molding theory predicts that growth of the aortic arch should occur when normal flow is established through the aortic arch. Preoperative and postoperative aortograms were reviewed in patients who underwent subclavian flap aortoplasty for the repair of coarctation. Patients were divided into two groups. Subclavian flap aortoplasty was performed at 1 month of age or earlier in group I, and at more than 1 month but less than 1 year of age in group II. Aortograms performed in patients without coarctation were used as age-matched c
