Restenosis of the renal artery after percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty: an inevitable outcome?

We performed follow-up studies in 26 patients four to 36 months after percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty. Restenosis was found in 47 per cent of the patients who had an atherosclerotic type of stenosis and in 14 per cent of the patients with fibromuscular dysplasia. We could not detect any significant differences between the atherosclerotic patients who did develop restenosis and those who did not. In fact, the presence of generalised atherosclerosis, the severity of the stenosis and the initial success of the dilatation were similar in the two groups. It thus cannot be predicted which patients will develop restenosis.