Endoluminal stent placement after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in the treatment of post-transplant renal artery stenosis.
OBJECTIVE
We report our experience with endoluminal stent placement after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for the treatment of post-transplant renal artery stenosis.


METHODS
From October 1992 to September 1996, 8 stents were successfully implanted in 7 patients affected by resistant transplant renal artery stenosis. All transplanted kidneys were procured from cadaver donors. The patients were routinely evaluated with duplex sonography and the median interval between transplantation and stenosis detection was 7.4 months (range 0.5 to 17). When serious renal stenosis was diagnosed (greater than 50%), selected angiography and percutaneous transluminal angioplasty were performed. In 8 cases (7 patients) an endoluminal metallic Palmaz stent was placed in the site of the restenosis. One patient received 2 stents repeatedly positioned in different stenosis sites.


RESULTS
No major complications occurred. Clinical outcome was positive in 5 patients (71.4%) and Stenosis recurred in 2 (28.5%) (less than 50% and less than 35%, respectively). Median followup after stent placement was 14.8 months (range 1 to 37).


CONCLUSIONS
Percutaneous endoluminal stent procedures after resistant transplant renal artery stenosis or for ex novo treatment for severe anastomotic stenoses appears to be promising. Longer followup periods are necessary for true evaluation of this procedure.
Nicita
G
G
Department of Urology, University of Florence, Italy.
Villari
D
D
Marzocco
M
M
Li Marzi
V
V
Trippitelli
A
A
Santoro
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000628:therapy*; D015607:Stents