Abstract
In three children, aged 11, 11 and 13 years, long isthmic tubular hypoplasia of the aorta technically precluded resection and end-to-end anastomosis. The coarctation was instead corrected by means of a subclavian flap. Anastomosis between the distal end of the left internal mammary artery and the descending aorta permitted perfusion of the remaining portion of the subclavian artery. At invasive reexamination 6 months after surgery, there was adequate functional and anatomic relief of coarctation in all three children. The three mammary artery-aorta anastomoses were patent, which probably prevented the potential ischemia of the left arm after ligation of the subclavian artery.