CHENNAI: Doctors at Apollo Hospital recently treated a 58-year-old man with uncontrolled blood pressure using a minimally invasive procedure as his hypertension had not improved with drugs.
The doctors used renal denervation (RDN) therapy on the man who had both the kidneys on the right side, an extremely rare anatomical variation.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Dr Refai Showkathali, senior consultant, interventional cardiology, Apollo Hospitals, said, “The patient was taking around five drugs to control blood pressure. However, it remained high for the last few years. Last year, he suffered a heart attack. Doctors performed angiogram and angioplasty. But, his BP remained high. So, they decided to perform renal denervation therapy, a procedure which is approved by the US FDA on patients with uncontrolled hypertension.”
The procedure involves radiofrequency ablation of both the renal arteries —basically calming the synthetic nerves in the renal system using radiofrequency. This led to reduction in BP from over 160/100 mmHg to 130/80 mmHg within a day. The patient was discharged the day after the procedure and now requires only two medications, Dr Showkathali said. In TN, this procedure has been performed in four cases.