Fetal Diagnosis is Associated with Improved Perioperative Condition of Neonates Requiring Surgical Intervention for Coarctation

To define the relative importance of fetal diagnosis and comorbidities in severity of preoperative compromise, outcomes and hospitalization in neonatal coarctation of the aorta (CoA). Retrospective comparison of preoperative condition and postoperative course of neonates prenatally (PreDx n = 48) or postnatally diagnosed (PostDx n = 67) with CoA. Congenital and non-congenital comorbidities were adjusted for. Postnatal diagnosis was associated with preoperative mortality (n = 2), and severe acidosis (lactate > 5 mM or pH < 7.20) on multivariate analysis (OR 4.2 (1.3–14.4, p = 0.02), with extracardiac congenital anomalies also a risk factor (OR 3.2 (1.03–10, p = 0.044). Median age at operation was delayed in the PostDx group (PreDx 6.5 days (IQR 4–9) vs PostDx 10 days (IQR 6–17)). Only comorbid left heart disease and extracardiac congenital anomalies were associated with prolonged total length of hospital stay. Prenatal diagnosis is the major adjustable risk factor affecting preoperative condition in critical CoA but does not reduce length of stay.