Stabilization of renal function following renal artery stent revascularization

This study evaluates the effect of renal artery stenting on renal function in 72 consecutive patients. Baseline renal function was considered "abnormal" if creatinine was ≥ 1.5 mg/dl. "Improvement" was defined as decrease in creatinine by ≥ 20%, "unchanged" if variation was ≤ 20%, and "worse" if creatinine increased by ≥ 20%. Two patients (2/72 = 2.8%) had in-hospital death. Follow-up creatinine was available in 61/70 (87%) patients at 21 ± 11 months (9 patients lost to follow-up). Forty-four (44/61, 72%) patients had normal baseline creatinine that remained "unchanged" in 42/44 (95%, p = ns). Seventeen (17/61, 28%) patients had "abnormal" baseline creatinine. The renal function "improved" in 3/17 (18%), from 2.7 ± 1 to 1.6 ± 0.6 mg/dl (p = 0.06). Creatinine remained "unchanged" in 9/17 (53%), and was "worse" in 5/17 (29%, 2.0 ± 0.51 to 3.3 ± 0.34 mg/dl, p = 0.005). In conclusion, the renal function remained stable in 89% of patients and worsened in 11% of patients at 21 months (follow-up available in 87% of the eligible patients) following renal artery stenting. In patients with baseline renal insufficiency (serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl), the renal function remained stable in 71% of patients.