Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis and reconstruction

Renal artery stenosis is common especially in patients with generalized atherosclerosis. It is frequently associated with difficult-to-treat hypertension and with renal failure. There is an ongoing debate about the appropriate screening and treatment of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis. Advances in imaging and interventional devices offer new opportunities, however, clinicians still have to decide individually in every patient to treat or not to treat stenosis with revascularization. This review evaluates the current literature in order to help the physician to find the right decision in this challenging clinical issue.