Return of Renal Function after Late Embolectomy

Abstract

MAJOR renal-artery embolism is an uncommon event. The prognosis for return of function in cases of clinically total occlusion is considered poor unless flow is re-established promptly. If a single functioning kidney is involved, the situation is particularly grave, for normothermic human renal tissue has been reported experimentally to lose viability after two hours of total arterial occlusion.¹ This report describes a case in which viability was sustained by surgical intervention thirty-nine days after an episode of embolism that produced oliguria.Case ReportW.S., a 57-year-old married woman, was transferred to the Strong Memorial Hospital on February 21, 1966, complaining . . .