RENOVASCULAR HYPERTENSION FOLLOWING SURGICAL REPAIR OF DISSECTING ANEURYSM OF THORACIC AORTA

Abstract

A critically ill patient with refractory renovascular hypertension following successful intrathoracic repair of a type I aortic dissection was treated successfully with gelfoam embolizaiton of the left kidney. Renal artery stenosis secondary to aortic dissection can exacerbate pre-existent hypertension in the preoperative or postoperative periods and can be diagnosed angiographically. Unilateral renal artery embolization may provide a safe alternative to nephrectomy for renovascular hypertension in cases where surgery is not feasible.