Aortic coarctation is a common congenital heart condition that is usually recognized during the neonatal period early after birth. The usual treatment is open surgery. Non-surgical catheter-based stent therapy is not available to treat neonatal aortic coarctation because children outgrow commercially available metallic stents. Absorbable stents might revolutionize the treatment of aortic coarctation in children, especially in neonates. Neonates require small delivery systems for relatively large nominal diameter implants, which is technically challenging. No commercial alternatives are available for off-label medical use. There is a considerable unmet need for a purpose-built, absorbable scaffold stent for neonatal aortic coarctation.
