Extracorporeal repair of renal artery branch lesions

Complex renal artery lesions which formerly would have been treated by nephrectomy may now be reconstructed by extra-corporeal surgery and autotransplantation. Our experience in 15 patients (17 operations) with renal artery lesions extending into its branches or confined to them is described. Two patients underwent separate operations on both sides. The indications for surgery were severe renovascular hypertension (10 cases), renal artery aneurysm, (5 cases) and deteriorating renal function (2 cases). Overall clinical results after a mean follow up of 3 years were considered excellent in 13 procedures (11 patients). Improvement in 2 patients and failure in the other 2, who ultimately underwent nephrectomy. Discussion is focussed on results, vascular indications, (namely aneurysm, stenosis, dissecting aneurysm and trauma) and surgical techniques. Preservation of functioning renal tissue should be the ultimate goal of renovascular surgery where the ex vivo technique, when indicated, will achieve favourable results in most patients.