Posted by HFHS-M.D. MS on February 04, 1998 at 17:49:44:

In Reply to: Renal vascular surgery posted by Nancy on February 02, 1998 at 00:28:27:

Please explain how a kidney bypass is done and a revascularization of the kidney. Will this help with high blood pressure caused by rennin production?

Dear Nancy:

Thank you for your question!

Renin is a hormone which is made in the kidneys and is responsible for regulating blood pressure. When a diseased renal artery ( the blood vessel bringing blood to the kidney ) narrows, the blood pressure to the kidney is reduced and the kidney compensates by making more renin and raising the blood pressure to the entire body. This higher blood pressure helps to get more blood to the partially blocked kidney, but is bad for the rest of the body.

A picture for this next part would be worth a thousand words, but I will try my best.

Surgery to bypass the blockage is corrective if the kidney has not been permanently damaged. Surgeons usually use a section of a nearby spare artery ( one that supplies an organ which has multiple arteries and one to spare) to channel blood around the blockage. After surgery most of the blood to the kidney is forced to make a detour through this newly attached artery around the narrowed area and then back into the native renal artery at a point downstream from the blockage. The kidney then sees more blood at a higher pressure and quickly decreases renin production. The blood pressure then drops to normal for the entire body.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and it’s satellites (1 800 653 6568).
Hope I did not confuse you to much!

Sincerely,

HFHS-M.D. MS
*Keyword: Renovascular hypertension

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