In 57 infants with coarctation of the aorta severe congestive heart failure was the indication for surgical correction. More than half of them were less than 1 month of age. Associated cardiovascular anomalies were found in 48 patients. The surgical techniques utilized were resection and end-to-end anastomosis of the aorta and patch plasty using a Dacron patch or the left subclavian artery. The total mortality was 47%, and most of the deaths were due to severe associated cardiovascular anomalies. Of the 30 surviving patients 5 have been reoperated for coarctation 10 months to 8 years after the initial correction. However, recoarctation should be regarded not as an unsuccessful result but rather as a measure of the survival of these desperately ill infants.