Renal Artery Stenosis
Feel Good About Your Legs Again
What is Renal Artery Stenosis?
Renal artery stenosis, also called renal artery disease, is a condition in which the arteries leading to the kidneys become narrowed or blocked with fatty deposits and/or plaque. This buildup happens over time with age, and can cause high-blood pressure. It’s important to diagnose and treat renal artery stenosis quickly because when the kidneys do not have proper blood flow, they’re unable to remove waste and fluids from the body, which can lead to kidney failure.
Symptoms of Renal Artery Stenosis
- Change in urine output
- High blood pressure, especially at a young age
- Swelling in face, ankles or feet
- Darkening skin
- Muscle cramps
- Fatigue
- Sudden weight loss
- Nausea and vomiting
Advanced Treatment Options
Angioplasty & Stenting: We can use angioplasty to open narrowed renal arteries. Angioplasty is a tiny, deflated balloon we insert with a catheter to the blocked artery, then inflate it to stretch the artery wider to open up blood flow to the kidney. If necessary, to keep it open, we insert a stent, a small mesh tube that stays in place to support the vein walls.
Drug Therapy: We often start with medications, as the first option. We’ll prescribe a medication to dilate or expand the renal arteries to increase blood flow. We may also prescribe a blood thinner.
Surgery: We have two surgical options. One is a renal artery endarterectomy, which is physically removing the plaque. The other is a renal artery bypass, in which we take a healthy segment of vein from another part of your body, and use it to route the blow flow around the blocked area.
Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure May Be From Renal Artery Disease
We’re able to diagnose it in one office visit, and provide treatment that works for your condition and lifestyle.
Get Treated Sooner
Because we’re highly specialized, with seven treatment locations in the St. Louis area, we’re able to schedule your exam and treatment much sooner than other facilities. Call us at 314-849-0923 or complete this contact form to get started.
Schedule a Consultation
What To Expect
Consultation
We will do a comprehensive exam, including a renal ultrasound, to diagnose your condition.
Procedures
Depending upon the severity of your condition, if you have renal artery stenosis, we’ll prescribe medications, or schedule you for angioplasty or surgery.
Recovery
You’ll have 1-2 hours of recovery, and afterward, you may experience mild pain for 2-3 days, which you can treat with over-the-counter pain medication. You’ll be able to resume normal activity in 5-7 days.
"No More Pain"
MaryAnn R.
"I Walked 2 Miles the Next Day!"
Shirley M.
"They Listen Very Well!"
Jeff K.
"Very Knowledgable!"
Happy Patient
"My Leg is Feeling So Much Better!"
Marlene G.
Renal Artery Stenosis FAQ
Anyone can develop renal artery disease, but risk factors are:
- age over 50
- high cholesterol
- obesity
- inactive
- tobacco use
- family history of heart disease
- diabetes
Yes. We will pre-certify any procedure or test prior to your appointment time to ensure it is a covered benefit through your plan.
You can expect mild pain after angioplasty/stenting, or surgery, which can be treated with over-the-counter pain medication.
If we stent the left renal artery the same thing could potentially happen to the right renal artery, so therefore if symptoms return this could be the cause. The artery that previously had a stent placed has a chance to re-narrow despite stent placement, and thus renal artery disease could return.
One of the best ways to prevent renal artery stenosis is to stop smoking. The chemicals in cigarettes damage blood cells and vessels and increase the risk of plaque buildup in the arteries.
