RENAL-ARTERY OCCLUSION - SURGICAL REVASCU LARIZATION

Five patients were treated for renal artery occlusion, as a result of embolism (2 patients), thrombosis of a stenosed vessel (1 patient) or acute occlusion during percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (2 patien ts). Three patients had poorly controlled hypertension. One patient wa s anuric. Patients were treated operatively in 4 cases and non operati vely in 1 case. There were no death and no renal failure that necessit ated chronic hemodialysis. All bypasses except one remained patent. Bl ood pressure increased in the patient with the bypass occlusion and wa s reduced in all four other patients. Renal artery occlusion does not necessarily cause renal infarction. Evaluation of renal viability is n ecessary before decision of revascularization. Surgical exploration se ems the best predictive factor.