From October 1985 to February 1992 we performed 80 percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in 76 patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoAo). Sixteen of them with ages ranging from 12 to 62 years (mean = 21.1). We describe the experience in these cases. Fifteen with native and one with post-surgical coarctation. The gradient decreased from 72 +/- 33 to 18 +/- 17 mmHg immediately after dilation, in the follow-up (1 to 69 months m = 25) was 23 +/- 20 mmHg. In one patient we performed simultaneously angioplasty of CoAo and mitral valvuloplasty with excellent results in both lesions. We redilated two cases for residual gradient successfully. We had one failure in a patient with long coarctation. He needed surgery. In the initial experience we had one severe complication (cerebral stroke). No deaths or aneurysms. In conclusion we believe that PTA is an adequate alternative in adolescents and adults with native or post-surgical coarctation of the aorta with minimum incidence of complications.