Acute aortic dissection with a dangerous duo in an adolescent boy

Acute type II aortic dissection and aortic coarctation are rare combined disorders. This report is of a patient with coarctation, a bicuspid aortic valve and type II dissection, who underwent emergency repair for the dissection, with aortic valve preservation. Repair of the coarctation was planned for a future occasion. The optimal sequence and timing of the repair, the best surgical technique, adequacy of blood perfusion, and the most appropriate arterial cannulation site are important issues in the repair of aortic dissection secondary to aortic coarctation.