renal artery stenting in severe atherosclerotic stenosis

Introduction: Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis is the first cause of secondary hypertension, causing refractory hypertension, renal failure, and cardiac destabilization syndromes. Aim: To evaluate results of renal artery stenting in patients with severe atherosclerotic stenosis (> 70%). Material and Methods: observational, retrospective, single-center study of patients undergoing renal artery stenting, over a period of 5 years (2017 to 2022) at the Barros Luco Trudeau Hospital, Chile. Results: 16 procedures in 15 patients (one bilateral case), male predominance (53.36%), average age (68.4 years), implanting the Viabahn®VBX stent (46.67%), Herculink Elite® stent (33.3%), Jostent® stent (20%), showing no significant differences in patency when comparing the different stents used (p > 0.3), technical success (93.75%), morbidity (12.5%), average follow-up (29.2 months), primary patency at 1, 2 and 3 years of 93.75%, 81.25% and 68.75% respectively, secondary patency at 1, 2 and 3 years of 93.75%, 87.50% and 81.25% respectively, observing a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure from 166.3mmHg to 150.2mmHg (p < 0.01) and in diastolic blood pressure from 91. 2mmHg to 82.4mmHg (p < 0.05), with a significant decrease in the need for antihypertensive drugs from 2.62 drugs/patient to 2.26 drugs/patient (p < 0.05), not showing significant changes in renal function (plasma creatinine from 1.68 mg/dl to 1.57 mg/dl; p = 0.2). Conclusion: In appropriately selected patients, renal artery stenting allows blood pressure control, stabilizing renal failure.