RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the capacity of fetal echocardiography for predicting the more likely surgical approach in newborns with coarctation of the aorta (CoAo) (left thoracotomy vs. median sternotomy). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We selected all cases of suspected CoAo prenatally diagnosed in 2003-2012 (n = 95). 49/95 were considered at high-risk and 46/95 at low-risk of CoAo, and 38/49 and 7/46 were postnatally confirmed, respectively. We firstly evaluated in 40 cases of CoAo surgically repaired (24 thoracotomy, 16 sternotomy) whether there were differences in fetal echocardiographic parameters between both groups. Secondly, we assessed the performance of these parameters for predicting the surgical approach in fetuses at high risk of CoAo. RESULTS: Sternotomy approach was associated with higher rate of postoperative complications and longer hospital stay compared with thoracotomy (81.3 vs. 41.7%, p = 0.014; 30.5 vs. 15.4 days, p = 0.0004, respectively). The Z-score of the aortic isthmus, measured in the sagittal plane, was significantly smaller in the sternotomy group. In fetuses at high-risk of having CoAo a cut-off value of the isthmus Z-score ≤ -2.5 had sensitivity of 78% and specificity of 82% for predicting sternotomy approach, with 9% false positive cases in which CoAo was not confirmed. DISCUSSION: The surgical approach for CoAo repair may be prenatally predicted by means of the Z-score of aortic isthmus, measured in the sagittal plane.