Renal Denervation

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a condition that greatly increases your risks of cardiac events like heart attacks, strokes, and heart failures. To combat this, hypertension medication is often prescribed to patients who have very high blood pressure readings. However in some cases, even after significant medication is given, some patients do not make significant progress. These cases are classed as resistant hypertension.

New treatments for resistant hypertension have been developed which target overactive nerves in the kidneys. These nerves play an important role in controlling blood pressure. Known as Renal Denervation, this treatment uses radiofrequency waves to destroy the overactive nerves and prevent them from raising the blood pressure.

Renal Denervation is a minimally invasive procedure where a catheter is inserted through the groin  and is threaded through to the kidney arteries. Once there, energy is delivered to the kidney nerves to decrease their activity. This is repeated for both kidneys. The entire procedure should take about an hour.

While there are some risks involved in this procedure, it is generally considered to be safe and the chances of severe complications are low. In rare cases, the damage from the radiofrequency energy may lead to a narrowing of renal arteries. Some patients may also experience slower heart rate (bradycardia) during the procedure. If this happens, medication will be administered to bring their heart rate back up to normal.

Although renal denervation is a relatively new procedure, it has shown promising results in reducing blood pressure among patients who present with resistant hypertension. Since it is a minimally invasive surgery with low risk, the potential benefits of the procedure generally outweigh the downsides.