TAMPA, Fla. — It’s called Renal Denervation and although it’s been used in countries around the world for years, it had yet to be used in the United States. 

But now, with the FDA’s approval, doctors are turning to the procedure as an additional treatment to reduce extreme cases of hypertension.

One such doctor is Parag Patel, a cardiologist who specializes in diagnostic and preventative coronary procedures at Mease Countryside Hospital.

“This is not a cure, it’s a compliment to medications and lifestyle modifications, especially to treat difficult hypertension patients,” Patel says.

That includes patients like Ruth Rettig. She says she never experienced high blood pressure until her 70s.

“My blood pressure was always normal, then all of a sudden it spiked up,” Rettig says. 

In addition to medication, Rettig made modifications to her lifestyle: eating healthier and exercising more. But her blood pressure remained dangerously high. It reached up as high as 190.

“Our patient Ruth was on five different medications, and she has instituted a lot of the lifestyle modifications that we had talked about, and her blood pressure was still very high,” says Patel. 

Dr. Patel recommended Renal Denervation, a procedure that targets the overactive nerves that surround the kidneys, otherwise known as the ‘sympathetic nerves.’

“Many forms of high blood pressure/hypertension – the sympathetic nervous system is overstimulated,” says Patel. 

When our bodies encounter stress, the sympathetic nerves are stimulated. They cause us to sweat to regulate our body’s temperature. They dilate our pupils to sharpen our vision. They open our airways so we can take in more oxygen, and they increase our blood pressure.

During the Renal Denervation procedure, a spiral catheter is inserted into the renal arteries through the groin. Then the catheter releases energy that destroys the overactive nerves.

“It does lower blood pressure and get patients under control. Some patients are able to come off their medications or release their dosage,” according to Patel. 

Since Ruth had the procedure last fall not only has her blood pressure fallen, but she has stopped taking two of her blood pressure medications. 

The procedure, which takes about an hour, has reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 50%.

Table information courtesy of Baycare.org

For more information about blood pressure readings, visit the American Heart Association.