Need Renal Artery Bypass Surgery...Can Anyone Help? - Kidney Disorders Message Board

momof2A's · 05-29-2005, 11:58 PM

Hi all,

I have had uncontrolled hypertension for 18 months now, despite being on Antenolol w/ diuretic and Clonidine .2 mg/1per day. I went to the dr for something unrelated and my bp was 155-115, so he suggested a renal artery scan. I showed some blockage in one of my arteries. I went to a surgeon for follow up and she suggested a renal bypass. She said since I am young, 27, that I would outlive a stint and therefore wanted to do something more permanent. I'm getting a second opinion in a few weeks.

I am freaking out b/c I can't find what I'm looking for in regards to this surgery, so if anyone could answer my questions, I would be most appreciative.

1- Is this a serious surgery?

2- Is it painful? Will they have to cut me wide open?

3- How long is the hospital stay?

4- Will I be well once I have this done or is there a chance of having to do it again?

Thanks to anyone who can answer these questions. I can find articles for coronary bypass, but not renal artery bypass. I think once I know the answers to this, then I'll feel much better.

PS- should I cross post this with the hypertension board too?

cebo · 05-30-2005, 05:01 PM

Hi Momo,

I had a ultrasound of the kidneys on friday and they found a obstruction in one artery and I too have high b/P which doesn't seem to go down enough with medication yet either.

The lady that did the ultrasound said that it was borderline blockage (not serious )so they might do a stent, balloon thinging but no mention of an artery bypass.

I have had no other symtoms and all my blood tests came back fine before the Ultra. I still have a heart scan to do at the end of the month and wont see the specialist untill early JUNE, if my heart tests come back fine I will be so happy and then I will see what I can do about the kidney. Have read that the blood pressure is not always fixed by this surgery but it could mean that you take less medication.

Do go and get a second opinion and type the words " RENAL ARTERY BYPASS " into your search engine and see what you can find.

Let us know how you go and dont be too freaked out, as I always say there is aways someone that has something far worse than us....just have a read of some of the posts.

Kind regards Cebo.

SamQKitty · 06-02-2005, 01:04 PM

Mom,
I would get a second, and even third, opinion before opting for surgery, and I would consult a nephrologist who is NOT a surgeon, and who isn't affiliated with your own doctor's group, just to be sure you're getting a valid second opinion and not a "rubber stamp" of what the other doctor said. Although bypass can be quite successful and would be a permanent cure for the condition, there are definitely risks involved, among them the risk that if the bypass were not successful, you would lose function in the affected kidney. If you have two fully functioning kidneys this might not be a problem, but that's another thing that should be checked out first.

I developed hypertension due to renal stenosis at the age of 30. It was also discovered at that time that I had one very small kidney and one enlarged kidney (probably congenital, and the kidney enlarged to compensate for the other, smaller one). The stenosis was on the side of the larger kidney, so in my case, if it didn't work, I would have been out of luck and on dialysis.

Yes, this is major surgery, although since I never had it, I can't say how painful it might be. At the time of diagnosis, I was being strongly pushed by the nephrologist I was then seing to have surgery and was told it would be about a 6-8 week recovery period. Thank goodness I elected to come back to Boston and get a second opinion. I never had the surgery, my blood pressure has been well controlled for many years (I'm now in my late 50's), and I have no other kidney problems.

It took a few years of monkeying around with various medications, but when the calcium channel blockers came on the market, my nephrologist decided to try them and I was able to achieve excellent BP control with them. As far as I know, diuretics are completely ineffective for this type of hypertension (although I was on one for the first couple of years...it made absolutely no difference when I stopped it). Also, clonidine is, if I'm not mistaken, and anti-anxiety medication and since your hypertension has nothing to do with anxiety, it would not be helpful in lowering your blood pressure. You may have to take several different types of meds, but they should be blood pressure meds, not anti-anxiety meds!

Ruth

cebo · 06-04-2005, 05:38 PM

Thank you for that post Ruth, much appreciated.

SamQKitty · 06-04-2005, 10:18 PM

Cebo,
It's been a while and I don't know if you can search the archives for this, but I'm pretty certain at least two, perhaps three, people posted many months ago who had stents put in, and then the stents failed. Again, if it works, it's a great solution, but if it doesn't.....

For someone with two fully functioning kidneys and with stenosis on only one side, it's a little bit less risky to have surgery because if it does fail, you'd still have one fully functioning kidney.

I'm a big one for trying BP management first, before opting for surgery, but that's due to my own personal experience. After all, it's been nearly 30 years since I was first diagnosed, and I've had no problems.

Ruth