Renal Artery Angioplasty/Stenting

The renal arteries take blood from the aorta into the kidneys, and when there is a serious narrowing of one or both arteries the kidneys may respond by releasing factors that increase the blood pressure. It is important to remember, however, that most people with high blood pressure do not have narrowing of the renal arteries, and will require treatment of the blood pressure with medication.

Renal artery narrowing can be treated by the implantation of a stent (metallic mesh tube) under local anaesthetic in most cases, but studies of this treatment for the management of high blood pressure have been disappointing, largely because many of the patients in the study did not have severe narrowing of their renal arteries.

In those highly selected patients who do have severe narrowing of the renal arteries, relief of the narrowing by the implantation of a stent may be helpful in controlling the high blood pressure, and may allow for treatment with less medication, but it rarely “cures” the high blood pressure completely.