A stent is a tiny mesh tube that is inserted into a vessel to reshape the vessel walls. They are often inserted into blood vessels that have been narrowed by plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) or due to collapse. Angioplasty is often performed to widen the blood vessel, then a stent is placed inside the blood vessel to prevent the blood vessel from collapsing or narrowing again. Stents are also placed as stent grafts to create new vessel walls in the case of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

Stent placement is a catheter-based procedure. The catheter carries the stent to the location of the narrowed or collapsed blood vessel, then the stent is placed in position, possibly as part of the balloon angioplasty procedure.

Renal artery stenting is a procedure to treat renal artery stenosis, the narrowing of the renal artery due to atherosclerosis (plaque build up) or fibromuscular dysplasia. The narrowed artery is unable to carry blood effectively and can result in hypertension or acute renal failure. A balloon angioplasty can be used to open the narrowed artery, and a mesh stent can be placed to hold the artery open.

Renal artery stenting is a catheter-based procedure that our doctors perform at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. The procedure takes about an hour and a short hospital stay is expected.