Renal angioplasty and stent placement with distal protection: preliminary experience with the FilterWire EX

Percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty and stent placement with use of a coronary protection device was performed in a total of four patients with hypertension (n = 4) and/or renal insufficiency (n = 3) referred for revascularization of five renal arteries. Renal revascularization was successful in all five renal arteries (100%), but renal revascularization under protection by the FilterWire EX was achieved in only three of five renal arteries (60%). In one of these three, only a suboptimal seal was achieved between the vessel wall and the filter basket. Nevertheless, use of the device was safe and fibrin and/or cholesterol fragments were retrieved from three renal arteries. The FilterWire EX needs to be modified for the renal circulation to achieve the full theoretical advantages of these systems in this vascular bed.