Renal arterial stent placement is technically superior and clinically comparable to renal PTA alone.

Incidental RAS is frequently seen in patients with peripheral vascular disease. If left untreated, incidental RAS seems not to result in end-stage renal failure or in a need for renal replacement therapy. Revascularization with the aim to prevent end-stage renal failure seems less indicated, and further prospective studies are indicated to elucidate this issue.

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Objective and Background: Bile leakage is a serious postoperative complication and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) may be an option when endoscopic treatment is not feasible. In this retrospective study, we established technical and clinical success rates as well as the complication rates of PTBD in a large group of patients with postoperative bile leakage. Methods: Data on all patients with nondilated intrahepatic bile ducts who underwent a PTBD procedure for the treatment of bile leakage between January 2000 and August 2012 were retrospectively assessed. Data included type of surgery, site of bile leak, previous attempts of bile leak repair, interval between surgery and PTBD placement. Outcome measures were the technical and clinical success rates, the procedure-related complications, and mortality rate. Results: A total of 63 patients were identified; PTBD placement was technically successful in 90.5% (57/63) after one to three attempts. The clinical success rate was 69.8% (44/63). Four major complications were documented (4/63; 6.3%): liver laceration, pneumothorax, pleural empyema, and prolonged hemobilia. One minor complication involved pain. Conclusions: PTBD is an effective treatment with low complication rates for the management of postsurgical bile leaks in patients with nondilated bile ducts.

Renal artery stenting was capable of causing improvement of glomerular filtration rate of the treated kidney, although the overall glomerular filtration rate did not change.

Intravascular ultrasonography provides accurate information on the vessel wall, lesion morphologic characteristics, and quantitative parameters of the abdominal aorta. Spatial information supplied by three-dimensional analysis contributes to a more realistic interpretation of the tomographic images.

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Intravascular ultrasound is a reliable technique for distinguishing renal arteries with or without a lesion. Both plaque development and local vessel narrowing may result in renal artery stenosis.