Long-term renal function preservation after renal artery stenting in patients with progressive ischemic nephropathy

We assessed the long-term effect of successful renal artery stent revascularization on renal function, blood pressure control, and survival in patients with progressive renal dysfunction due to ischemic nephropathy. Ischemic nephropathy presents a potentially serious risk of complete loss of renal function. Surgical renal revascularization is associated with significant risk of mortality/morbidity in this patient population. The potential role and long-term effect of renal artery stent revascularization in this patient population is not well defined. A cohort of 51 patients (mean age, 72 years; 52.9% men) with progressive azotemia, defined as a preprocedure serum creatinine (Scr) value of >or= 1.5 mg/dl and a negative slope of the reciprocal 1/Scr curve during the 12 months preceding revascularization, underwent successful primary stent deployment in 93 atherosclerotic renal artery lesions (42 bilateral, 9 solitary kidneys). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR) and serum creatinine values, blood pressure, antihypertensive medication requirements, and survival rates were monitored over a mean of 30-month follow-up. Renal artery duplex Doppler or renal angiography were performed at a mean of 13 months (range, 7-15 months) to assess stent patency. Stent implantation was successful in 92/93 (98.9%) stenotic renal arteries (mean preprocedure serum creatinine 2.3 +/- 0.9 mg/dl; range, 1.5-8.2 mg/dl). Forty-seven patients were eligible for 30-month follow-up of the procedural effect on renal function, blood pressure control, number of antihypertensive medications, and survival. At 1-year follow-up, the slope of the 1/Scr curve increased and the EGFR values significantly improved compared to preprocedure values (19.9 +/- 6.2 to 26.8 +/- 10.1 ml/min; P < 0.0001), serum creatinine decreased from the mean preprocedure value to 1.75 +/- 0.69 mg/dl (P < 0.001), with renal function improvement or stabilization observed in 94% of patients; three patients (7.3%) required permanent hemodialysis during the 30-month follow-up period. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure significantly decreased (from 177 +/- 28 to 148 +/- 25 mm Hg and from 92 +/- 15 to 78 +/- 14 mm Hg, respectively; P < 0.001) with fewer antihypertensive medications required to control blood pressure (3.5 +/- 0.9 vs. 1.9 +/- 1.3; P < 0.001). The patient survival rate after 30-month follow-up was 87%, with three deaths related to end-stage renal failure. Renal artery stent revascularization reversed progressive renal dysfunction within the first 12 months and maintained the improved level of renal function at 30-month follow-up while improving blood pressure control and reducing the number of antihypertensive medication requirements. Renal stent revascularization should be considered a valid therapeutic option for the long-term treatment of ischemic nephropathy.