Extraparenchymal renal artery aneurysms: is hypertension an indication for revascularization surgery?

We report here the surgical management of extraparenchymal renal artery aneurysms associated with hypertension and the results of this treatment. From January 1978 through December 1999, 19 consecutive patients with 23 extraparenchymal renal artery aneurysms underwent surgery with renal revascularization techniques. Of these 19 patients, 89.5% had systemic hypertension, and 12 of 16 patients had associated renovascular hypertension. Twenty of the aneurysms were patent, one was chronically thrombosed, and one patient presented with acute thrombosis of abdominal aortic and bilateral renal aneurysms; 11 of the 20 patent cases had significant stenosis in the preoperative arteriography. Seventeen aneurysms (74%) were located on the main trunk of the renal artery. Response of hypertension and renal function were examined. Surgical technique patency was evaluated by life-table methods. Our basic surgical indication for extraparenchymal renal artery aneurysms in this series was renovascular hypertension. Nonrenal hypertension alone does not indicate surgery. We consider the saphenous vein to be the graft of choice for renal revascularization.