BACKGROUND: Endovascular treatment of hypertensive renal disease in patients with a solitary kidney secondary to renal artery stenosis proved to be effective to prevent organ failure and function, as well as hypertension control. When indicated after judicious evaluation using both biochemical methods and the patient's images and signs, endovascular treatment has effective clinical benefits and is little invasive. OBJECTIVE: To study renal artery stenosis with hypertension and evaluate the effectiveness of endovascular treatment in the control of hypertension, renal failure secondary to renal artery stenosis, and in the prevention of renal failure in patients with a solitary kidney. METHODS: This study was performed at the Reference Center of High Complexity in Endovascular Surgery of Hospital de Clínicas da Universidade de Campinas from April 1997 through June 2005 using a previously developed protocol. Ten patients with renal artery stenosis and solitary kidney submitted to endovascular treatment were included. Improvement in hypertension and renal function was assessed through clinical follow-up and laboratory tests using measurements of blood pressure, serum urea levels, creatinine and clearance. Color-flow Doppler ultrasound was performed 30, 90, 180 days after the surgery and yearly thereafter. Aortography and selective renal arteriography were performed in case of doubt as to images or signs. For this population, 90% had hypertension, 70% were smokers, 40% had hyperlipidemia, 30% had carotid artery occlusive disease, 60% had chronic lower limb arterial occlusion, and 20% had diabetes mellitus. RESULTS: Immediate success was 100%. Mean follow-up time was 40 months. Control of blood pressure occurred in 90% of the cases, and in 10% there was significant reduction in urea and creatinine levels and worsening of hypertension after the procedure. CONCLUSION: Endovascular treatment of renal artery stenosis is a technique that has clinical benefits in hypertension control, preserving renal function and progression of this disease, but without improvement in renal function.
Renovascular hypertension; stenosis; stent
