Treatment
Lifestyle Changes
These include:
- Controlling high blood pressure
- Losing weight
- Quitting smoking
- Exercising
- Cutting back on fat in the diet
- Reducing alcohol consumption
Medications
Blood pressure medications may be prescribed.
Angioplasty
Renal artery angioplasty with a stent is a nonsurgical procedure in which a tiny mesh tube called a stent is inserted into a blocked renal artery to keep it open and to keep the blood flowing. This may be a option for some patients, but it is not known whether this offers advantages over medical therapy for prevention of complications.
Surgery
Endarterectomy
In a renal endarterectomy, your surgeon removes the inner lining of your renal artery, which contains the plaque. This procedure removes the plaque and leaves a smooth, wide-open artery.
Bypass Surgery
This approach creates a detour around the narrowed or blocked sections of your renal artery. To create this bypass, your surgeon connects one of your veins or a tube made from man-made materials, called a bypass graft, above and below the area that is blocked. This creates a new path for your blood to flow to your kidneys.