Basic data related to clinical decision making in renovascular hypertension

Percutaneous transluminal revascularization for renal artery stenosis: Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System experience

PURPOSE

The safety and efficacy of percutaneous transluminal intervention for renal artery stenosis is improving. This study evaluates the immediate and long-term anatomic and functional outcomes of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis in a Veterans Affairs population.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of records from patients who underwent renal artery angioplasty with or without stenting at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System between January 1990 and June 1999. Indications for intervention included hypertension (78%) and rising serum creatinine (78%). Seventy-six patients (74 men, average age of 67 years, range 42-83 years) underwent 88 attempted interventions. Seventy-two percent of contralateral kidneys had significant disease (47% had a >60% stenosis; 16% were nonfunctioning or absent).

RESULTS

Of the 88 planned interventions, 86 were successfully performed with placement of 46 stents (52%). Technical success (defined by <30% residual stenosis) was achieved in 78 vessels (89%). The procedure-related complication rate was 5%. Patient mortality by life table analysis was 49% at 5 years. Assisted primary patency rate at 5 years was 100%. Primary and secondary restenosis rates were 37% +/- 8% and 31% +/- 8% at 5 years, respectively. Sixty-eight percent of patients treated for hypertension demonstrated clinical benefit (improved or cured hypertension). This clinical benefit was maintained in 52% of the patients at 5 years, as measured by life table analysis. Serum creatinine was lowered or maintained in 88% of the patients, but this clinical benefit was only maintained in 25% of patients at 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Transluminal intervention for clinically symptomatic atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is technically successful and safe. There are excellent assisted-patency and low restenosis rates. There is immediate clinical benefit for most patients, as evidenced by improved control of hypertension and preservation of renal function. However, within 5 years the benefit is not maintained for either hypertension (50%) or renal function (20%). Therefore, although technically successful, functional outcomes after endoluminal intervention are not maintained in the long term.

Renal artery revascularization in combination with infrarenal aortic reconstruction

Associated stenosis of one or both renal arteries is not uncommon in patients with infrarenal aortic disease (aneurysm or occlusive disease) requiring surgical repair. The purpose of this retrospective study was to analyze the short- and long-term outcome of concomitant renal artery and aortic reconstruction. The present series includes 39 consecutive concomitant procedures. Simultaneous aortic and renal artery reconstruction was performed in a total of 39 (7.2%) of the 540 patients who underwent elective infrarenal abdominal aortic repair between 1987 and 1996. There were 33 men and 6 women with a mean age of 66.7 years. Twenty-eight patients presented hypertension and 7 presented renal insufficiency associated with hypertension. In all cases, the indication for operative treatment was aortic disease, i.e., aortic aneurysm in 20 cases and occlusive aortoiliac disease in 19 cases. A total of 51 renal artery revascularization procedures were performed, including bypass in 40 cases, transposition in 7, and endarterectomy in 4. Combined aortic and renal artery reconstruction gives good short- and long-term results comparable to those of isolated aortic surgery. On the basis of these findings, we think that concomitant repair is the strategy of choice for patients presenting renal artery stenosis associated with infrarenal aortic disease requiring surgical therapy.