Endovascular vs open repair of renal artery aneurysms: outcomes of repair and long-term renal function

Editor's Choice - Ex vivo Renal Artery Repair with Kidney Autotransplantation for Renal Artery Branch Aneurysms: Long-term Results of Sixty-seven Procedures

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND

To evaluate the long-term outcome of renal revascularization by ex vivo renal artery reconstruction and autotransplantation for renal artery branch aneurysms (RABAs).

METHODS

Between 1991 and 2015, 67 ex vivo renal artery reconstructions with kidney autotransplantation were performed in 55 adults (mean age 47 years) and 10 children to repair 87 RABAs. The main underlying disease was fibromuscular dysplasia in 34 patients. Other etiologies were systemic congenital disease in eight patients, spontaneous dissecting aneurysms in five, iatrogenic aneurysms in three, atheromatous aneurysms in two and unknown etiology in 13. Median RABA diameter was 20.5 mm. Fifty-three patients (82%) were hypertensive, 60 had normal renal function and no patient was on hemodialysis. Seven patients (11%) were operated on after failure of an endovascular procedure. The mean number of renal artery branches repaired per patient was 3.5 and multiple aneurysms were treated in 14 patients (22%). The hypogastric artery was used in 41 patients, the saphenous vein in 18, the superficial femoral artery in five and a combination of different materials in three.

RESULTS

No deaths occurred during the first 30 days. Primary patency at 30 days was 90.8% following to six early thromboses. Three patients (5%) were lost to follow up. No other thrombosis occurred. At 8 years, the primary and primary-assisted patency were 88% and 91%, respectively. Survival was 95% at 9 years. Among the 53 hypertensive patients, two were lost to follow up. At 9 years, 22 (43%) were cured and nine (18%) were improved with a significant reduction of antihypertensive medication (p < .05). The pre-operative modification of the diet in renal disease (MDRD) clearance was 93 ± 29 mL/minute, the immediate post-operative MDRD was 94 ± 33 mL/minute, and at the end of follow up it was 86 ± 26 mL/minute (p > .05).

CONCLUSION

Ex vivo renal artery reconstruction for complex RABAs eliminates the risk of rupture, confers a benefit to hypertension, and preserves renal function with a satisfactory long-term patency.

Renal embolization

Recent developments in endovascular radiological techniques and devices make embolization as a major therapeutic option in many renal vascular or neoplastic diseases, before surgery. These techniques show a very good efficacy with a low morbidity and a better renal tolerance. Indications of embolization in nephrology are post-biopsy arteriovenous fistulas, renal graft intolerance, functional exclusion and polycystic kidney disease before transplantation. Others are at the interface between nephrology and urology as angiomyolipomas (mostly in tuberous sclerosis context), arterial aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations.

Fibromuscular Dysplasia in a Normotensive Patient Presented With Renal Infarct: Case Report and Endovascular Technique

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a well-known disease, but its diagnosis can be challenging. Typically, the symptomatic FMD are reported by young and middle aged people with high blood pressure refractory to medical treatment. We present a rare case of a young, healthy, and normotensive patient who presented with pain secondary to renal infarction, without any prior signs or symptoms or history of hypertension. This presentation of FMD has not been previously described. The typical but subtle angiographic findings of the macro-aneurysmal FMD as well as the successful endovascular treatment are discussed herein. The macro-aneurysmal form of FMD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute renal infarction in young and middle aged patients even if they do not have a history of hypertension.

Surgical repair of renal artery aneurysms

The pathogenesis of renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) is degenerative, which eventually leads to weakening of the vessel wall and, in extreme cases, rupture. RAAs are a rare occurrence. Patients generally are asymptomatic, with a small number presenting with uncontrollable hypertension or hematuria. Most RAAs are discovered incidentally on imaging and do not pose an immediate health threat. However, the risk of rupture is an indication for prophylactic repair in certain patients. Interest in interventional radiologic procedures in the management of RAAs has recently increased; however, open repair should still be considered in select instances. In this case series, we present three patients for whom an open approach was indicated and performed.

Management and outcomes of isolated renal artery aneurysms in the endovascular era

OBJECTIVE

Isolated renal artery aneurysms are rare, and controversy remains about indications for surgical repair. Little is known about the impact of endovascular therapy on selection of patients and outcomes of renal artery aneurysms.

METHODS

We identified all patients undergoing open or endovascular repair of isolated renal artery aneurysms in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1988 to 2011 for epidemiologic analysis. Elective cases were selected from the period 2000 to 2011 to create comparable cohorts for outcome comparison. We identified all patients with a primary diagnosis of renal artery aneurysms undergoing open surgery (reconstruction or nephrectomy) or endovascular repair (coil or stent). Patients with concomitant aortic aneurysms or dissections were excluded. We evaluated patient characteristics, management, and in-hospital outcomes for open and endovascular repair, and we examined changes in management and outcomes over time.

RESULTS

We identified 6234 renal artery aneurysm repairs between 1988 and 2011. Total repairs increased after the introduction of endovascular repair (8.4 in 1988 to 13.8 in 2011 per 10 million U.S. population; P = .03). Endovascular repair increased from 0 in 1988 to 6.4 in 2011 per 10 million U.S. population (P < .0001). However, there was no concomitant decrease in open surgery (5.5 in 1988 to 7.4 in 2011 per 10 million U.S. population; P = .28). From 2000 to 2011, there were 1627 open and 1082 endovascular elective repairs. Patients undergoing endovascular repair were more likely to have a history of coronary artery disease (18% vs 11%; P < .001), prior myocardial infarction (5.2% vs 1.8%; P < .001), and renal failure (7.7% vs 3.3%; P < .001). In-hospital mortality was 1.8% for endovascular repair, 0.9% for open reconstruction (P = .037), and 5.4% for nephrectomy (P < .001 compared with all revascularization). Complication rates were 12.4% for open repair vs 10.5% for endovascular repair (P = .134), including more cardiac (2.2% vs 0.6%; P = .001) and peripheral vascular complications (0.6% vs 0.0%; P = .014) with open repair. Open repair had a longer length of stay (6.0 vs 4.6 days; P < .001). After adjustment for other predictors of mortality, including age (odds ratio [OR], 1.05 per decade; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.0-1.1; P = .001), heart failure (OR, 7.0; 95% CI, 3.1-16.0; P < .001), and dysrhythmia (OR, 5.9; 95% CI, 2.0-16.8; P = .005), endovascular repair was still not protective (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.8-3.2; P = .145).

CONCLUSIONS

More renal artery aneurysms are being treated with the advent of endovascular techniques, without a reduction in operative mortality or a reduction in open surgery. Indications for repair of renal artery aneurysms should be re-evaluated.

Endovascular Management of True Renal Arterial Aneurysms: Results from a Single Centre

PURPOSE

To report a single centre's experience of the endovascular treatment of renal arterial aneurysms, including techniques and outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of true renal arterial aneurysms (TRAAs) treated using endovascular techniques over a period of 12 years and 10 months. The clinical presentations, aneurysm characteristics, endovascular techniques and outcomes are reported.

RESULTS

There were nine TRAA cases with a mean aneurysm size of 21.0 mm, located at the main renal arterial bifurcation in all cases. Onyx(®) was used as the embolic agent of choice (88.9 % cases), with concurrent balloon remodelling. The overall primary technical success rate was 100 %. Repeat intervention was carried out in 1 case, secondary to reperfusion >8 years post-initial treatment. Long-term clinical follow-up was available in 55.6 % of cases (mean 29.8 months; range 3.3-90.1 months). Early post-procedural renal function, as measured by serum creatinine, remained within the normal reference range. Renal parenchymal loss post-embolisation was ≤20 % in 77.8 % of cases, as estimated on imaging. Minor complications included non-target embolization of Onyx(®) with no clinical sequelae (n = 1), transient pain requiring only oral analgesia with no prolongation of hospital stay (n = 2). No major complications occurred as a consequence of embolisation.

CONCLUSION

Endovascular therapy is an effective and safe primary therapy for TRAA with high success rate and low morbidity, supplanting surgery as primary therapy. Current experience in the use of Onyx(®) in TRAA is primarily limited to individual case reports, and this represents the largest case series of Onyx(®)-treated TRAAs to date.

Renal artery embolization-indications, technical approaches and outcomes

Owing to improvements in catheters and embolic agents, renal artery embolization (RAE) is increasingly used to treat nephrological and urological disease. RAE has become a useful adjunct to medical resuscitation in severe penetrating, iatrogenic or blunt renal traumatisms with active bleeding, and might avoid surgical intervention, particularly among patients that are haemodynamically stable. The role of RAE in pre-operative or palliative management of advanced malignant renal tumours remains debated; however, RAE is recommended as a first-line therapy for bleeding angiomyolipomas and can be used as a preventative treatment for angiomyolipomas at risk of bleeding. RAE represents an alternative to nephrectomy in various medical conditions, including severe uncontrolled hypertension among patients with end-stage renal disease, renal graft intolerance syndrome or autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. RAE is increasingly used to treat renal artery aneurysms or symptomatic renal arteriovenous malformations, with a low complication rate as compared with surgical alternatives. This Review highlights the potential use of RAE as an adjunct in the management of renal disease. We first compare and contrast the technical approaches of RAE associated with the various available embolization agents and then discuss the complications associated with RAE and alternative procedures.

Vascular fluorescence imaging control for complex renal artery aneurysm repair using laparoscopic nephrectomy and autotransplantation

Intraoperative fluorescent imaging using indocyanine green enables vascular surgeons to confirm the location and states of the reconstructed vessels during surgery. Complex renal artery aneurysm repair involving second order branch vessels has been performed with different techniques. We present a case of ex vivo repair and autotransplantation combining the advantages of minimally invasive surgery and indocyanine green enhanced fluorescence imaging to facilitate vascular anatomy recognition and visualization of organ reperfusion.

Optimal management of renal artery fibromuscular dysplasia

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a nonatherosclerotic, noninflammatory angiopathy of unknown cause affecting medium-sized (most commonly renal) arteries and causing renovascular hypertension. The most common medial multifocal type of FMD (with the “string of beads” appearance) is more than four times more prevalent in females than in males. FMD accounts for up to 10% of cases of renovascular hypertension. Compared with patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, patients with FMD are younger, have fewer risk factors for atherosclerosis, and a lower occurrence of atherosclerosis in other vessels. The etiology is multifactorial, including vessel wall ischemia and smoking, as well as hormonal and genetic factors. Intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography is still the gold standard for exclusion or confirmation of renal artery stenosis caused by FMD, at least in young patients, who more often have lesions in branches of the renal artery. For FMD patients with atherosclerosis and those who are older (>50–55 years), significant renal artery stenosis may be confirmed or excluded with ultrasonography. The FMD lesion is typically truncal or distal, whereas atherosclerotic lesions are more often proximal or ostial. Treatment options are medical, endovascular (percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty [PTRA]), and surgical. Invasive treatment should be considered when hypertension cannot be controlled with antihypertensive drugs and in patients with impaired renal function or ischemic nephropathy. PTRA has become the treatment of choice and normally yields good results, especially in unifocal disease and young patients. Pressure gradients are normally completely abolished, and there is no indication for stent placement. Surgical revascularization is indicated after PTRA complications; thrombosis, perforation, progressive dissection, repeated PTRA failure or restenosis. Centralization of handling is recommended.

Renal artery aneurysms: movement toward endovascular repair

Renal artery aneurysm (RAA) is an uncommon disease and is typically an incidental finding on imaging performed for other medical ailments. Sequelae of RAA include rupture and difficult to control hypertension. Repair of RAA is considered in suitable surgical candidates when a maximum diameter of 2 cm is reached or in those females who are pregnant or trying to conceive. Surgical options have expanded from traditional open aneurysmectomy or arteriorrhaphy to robotic-laparoscopic repair and a manifold of endovascular approaches.