Controversy still exists in the literature regarding definitive therapy for repair of coarctation of the aorta. Major factors involve not only the timing of repair, but also the method of repair, whether surgical or by percutaneous transluminal balloon dilatation. Results and complications of coarctation repair using various methods of classification present a diversity of results. This report will focus on these issues and attempt to dispel the statement that either one method or the other is the "choice method" of repair for any and all types of coarctation. Also presented is a proposed classification we believe will assist in clarifying the choice of therapy and perhaps improve not only the reporting of results, but also the results themselves. Methods of repair are discussed to provide the surgeon with a complete armamentarium of operations that the surgeon would tailor to the individual anatomicopathological patterns of the patient who presents at the time of surgery. Copyright 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company