Overview
Renal angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that opens the renal arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the kidneys. Renal artery stenosis can block blood flow, which can cause high blood pressure that can't be controlled and make the kidneys work less well. A thin catheter with a small balloon at the tip is inserted into a blood vessel, usually in the groin or wrist, and then guided to the narrowed renal artery during renal angioplasty. To open up the artery and get blood flowing again, the balloon is blown up. A stent, a small mesh tube, is often placed to keep the artery open for a long time. The procedure is performed in a catheterisation lab with imaging guidance.
Why It’s Done
Renal angioplasty is done to help blood flow to the kidneys in people whose renal arteries are very narrow. It is suggested that high blood pressure doesn't go down with medicine or when kidney function gets worse because of a lack of blood flow. Getting blood to flow properly again can help protect kidney tissue and may help control blood pressure.
What to Expect?
Before the procedure, patients have blood tests and imaging tests, such as Doppler ultrasound, CT angiography, or MRI, to determine where the narrowing is and how severe it is. Before the procedure, the medications may need to be changed. Most of the time, renal angioplasty is done with local anaesthesia and mild sedation. During the procedure, a small incision is made to access a blood vessel, and an X-ray is used to carefully guide a catheter to the renal artery. To see the artery, a contrast dye is injected. The balloon is inflated to enlarge the narrowed area, and a stent may be placed to keep it open. The process usually takes between one and two hours. After that, patients are monitored for a few hours to ensure their blood pressure and kidney function remain stable. Most patients are sent home within 24 hours.
Recovery & Outlook
Most of the time, recovery is quick, and there isn't much pain at the site where the catheter was put in. Most patients can return to their normal activities within a few days. When done correctly, renal angioplasty can greatly help control blood pressure and protect kidney function.