Renal artery surgery in patients with presumptive renovascular hypertension

The authors review their experience with 29 patients who were operated upon for renal artery stenosis and had been followed up for longer than one year postoperatively. The preoperative assessment should include an aortogram and split-function test. A bypass prosthesis was the most useful operative technique. One year following surgery 40% were cured, 40% significantly improved and 20% unchanged. The results in patients with a longer follow-up (to seven years) were similar.A plea is made for more frequent preoperative renal biopsies and a greater willingness to perform bilateral repairs at the time of the initial operation.