Renal artery PTA is endovascular treatment of narrowing and obstruction as well as aneurysmal dilatations of the renal arteries. Narrowing of these arteries is associated with the appearance of high arterial blood pressure and a decrease in kidney function. In case of aneurysmal dilatations, there is a risk of blood vessel rupture at the site of dilation and bleeding.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia by accessing the narrowing through the arteries of the legs or arms, while the control is performed using X – rays in the angio room using iodine contrast agent. Agioplasty represents the expansion of the wall of an obstructed or narrowed blood vessel using a special medical balloon. The balloon is placed inside the lumen of the blood vessel. It is then inflated thus pushing the plaque against the wall of the artery while expanding its lumen.
In cases when angioplasty alone is not enough to solve the narrowing in the arteries of the leg, one or more stents can be implanted. A stent is a metal tube placed inside a blood vessel, along an arterial wall which prevents it from narrowing again. At the end of the procedure, manual compression or a special type of artery closure device are used to close the access point.
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Author: Vladimir Kovačević, Radiologist
