Renal Artery Denervation to Treat High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure (BP) is the end result of many factors and results among other
things in stroke, heart failure and kidney failure when untreated or inadequately treated.
The kidney is also closely involved in the control of BP and there are nerves which go
both to and from the kidneys to the brain which are part of the body’s system regulating
BP.
The nerves travel from and to the brain
alongside the aorta and then pass
alongside the kidney or renal artery.
A new treatment has been developed
which allows us to obliterate the kidney’s
nerve supply using high frequency
electrical energy without affecting kidney
function.
The procedure involves passing a
catheter into the femoral artery in the
groin, in the same way we do when
doing a coronary angiogram, under X-ray
guidance, threading the specially
designed catheter into the kidney
arteries. An electrical current is then
administered at several points along the
artery which destroys the renal nerves.
In recent published studies a significant
reduction in BP was seen within a few
weeks of the treatment. This allows
patients to achieve better BP control
although they continue to need treatment - just less of it for more benefit.