Renal artery endarterectomy for treatment of renovascular hypertension combined with infrarenal aortic reconstruction: analysis of surgical results.

From June 1995 to February 2000, 16 patients with renovascular hypertension had bilateral transaortic renal artery endarterectomy (RA TEA) combined with either infrarenal aortic aneurysm repair (8 patients) or infrarenal aortodistal bypass for occlusive disease (8 patients). Aortic clamp level for RA TEA was supraceliac in eight patients and suprarenal in eight patients with a mean clamp time of 19 min (range 14 to 25 min). Perioperative complications occurred in four patients. These included respiratory insufficiency with prolonged intubation (1 patient), prolonged intubation with transient renal failure requiring temporary dialysis (1 patient), acute thrombosis of right limb of aortofemoral bypass graft (1 patient) and major left hemispheric cerebrovascular accident (1 patient). Results from this contemporary patient series demonstrate acceptable perioperative morbidity and mortality when RA TEA for treatment of renovascular hypertension is combined with infrarenal aortic reconstruction. In this setting, either supraceliac or suprarenal aortic clamping for short time periods appears to be well tolerated. Clinical outcome is enhanced by salvage of renal function, decrease in medication requirement, and improvement in blood pressure control.