Modern treatment of persistent arterial hypertension: Intravascular denervation of the kidneys
High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure and renal dysfunction. Despite great progress in drug therapy, a significant number of patients continue to have uncontrolled blood pressure, even when taking multiple antihypertensive drugs.
For these patients, modern interventional cardiology now offers a new, safe and minimally invasive solution: renal denervation.
What is renal denervation?
400;”>This is an innovative method that aims to reduce the increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which contributes significantly to the onset and maintenance of hypertension.
Around the renal arteries are nerve endings that affect the regulation of blood pressure. Using a special catheter, through the femoral artery, targeted ablation of these nerve fibers is performed with radio frequencies or ultrasound, thus reducing the pressure permanently.
Which patients is it aimed at?
The method mainly concerns patients:
- with unregulated blood pressure, despite receiving appropriate medication
- with difficulty complying with long-term daily medication
- with adverse effects from antihypertensive drugs
- with increased overall cardiovascular risk due to long-term hypertension
The selection of the appropriate patient is always made after a complete cardiological examination and specialized evaluation.
What are the advantages of the method?
Intravascular renal denervation presents significant benefits:
- significant and stable reduction in blood pressure
- possible reduction in the need for multiple medications
- reduction in overall cardiovascular risk
- possible protective effect on kidney function
- painless and low-risk procedure
- short hospitalization and immediate return to daily activities
- long-term result, without the need for repetition in most cases
How is the procedure performed?
The procedure is performed in a hemodynamic laboratory, with local anesthesia and mild intoxication. Through a small puncture in an artery in the leg, a thin catheter is inserted and guided to the renal arteries.
The duration of the operation is usually short, while the patient is mobilized quickly and is discharged from the hospital soon.
The future in the treatment of hypertension
Arterial hypertension is not just a number in blood pressure, but a chronic condition that affects the entire body. The possibility of treating it with invasive techniques opens up a new perspective for patients who until now had difficulty achieving proper regulation.
Intravascular denervation of the kidneys is an important step in modern cardiology towards more effective, personalized and permanent solutions for hypertension. At the Inter-Balkan Medical Center of Thessaloniki, the method is applied with high specialization and aims to optimally protect the cardiovascular health of each patient.
