Where is renal arteries

For certain people a procedure may be recommended to restore blood flow through the renal artery to improve blood flow to the kidney. Results from clinical trials comparing medication with renal angioplasty and stenting didn't show a difference between the two treatment approaches on reducing high blood pressure and improving kidney function for patients with moderate renal artery stenosis. Procedures to open the vessel should be considered for people who don't do well on medicine alone, who can't tolerate medications, who often retain fluids and who have treatment-resistant heart failure.

As a part of your treatment plan for renal artery stenosis, your doctor may recommend making certain lifestyle changes:. For renal artery stenosis, you may start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in conditions that affect the kidneys nephrologist or a heart and blood vessel specialist cardiologist , particularly if blood pressure is difficult to control or kidney function worsens. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, as well as what to expect from your doctor.

In addition to the questions that you've prepared, don't hesitate to ask other questions as they occur to you during your appointment. Renal artery stenosis care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.

Diagnosis For diagnosis of renal artery stenosis, your doctor may start with: A physical exam that includes your doctor listening through a stethoscope over the kidney areas for sounds that may mean the artery to your kidney is narrowed A review of your medical history Blood and urine tests to check your kidney function Blood and urine tests to measure the levels of hormones that regulate blood pressure.

These branches are very small and often not visible on imaging studies:. The dorsal and ventral rami divide into segmental branches within the renal hilum before entering the parenchyma: apical, anterior superior, anterior inferior middle , inferior and posterior segmental renal arteries. These then divide into lobar branches which successively branch into interlobar, arcuate, and interlobular arteries.

The afferent arterioles, which supply the glomeruli , originate from the interlobular arteries. Anatomy: Abdominopelvic. Please Note: You can also scroll through stacks with your mouse wheel or the keyboard arrow keys. Updating… Please wait. Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again. Thank you for updating your details. Log In. Sign Up. The renal artery enters through the hilum , which is located where the kidney curves inward in a concave shape.

Under normal circumstances, once the renal artery enters through the hilum, it splits into two main branches, which each then split into numerous smaller arteries, which deliver blood to different areas of the kidneys, known as nephrons. Once the blood has been processed here, it is sent back through the renal vein to the inferior vena cava and to the right side section of the heart. The body has self-regulating mechanisms in place, which increase or decrease the flow of blood to adapt to stress.

Receptors located in the smooth muscle wall of the renal artery allow the arteries to expand or contract to compensate for high or low blood pressure. Renal pyramids are kidney tissues that are shaped like cones. Another term for renal pyramids is malpighian pyramids. The kidneys are some of the most important organs in your body, and each one contains many parts. Learn more about the main structures of the kidneys….

Your kidneys need adequate blood flow to help filter waste products and remove excess fluids. Reduced blood flow to your kidneys may injure kidney tissue and increase blood pressure throughout your body. Renal artery stenosis often doesn't cause any signs or symptoms until it's advanced.

The condition may be discovered incidentally during testing for something else. Your doctor may also suspect a problem if you have:. Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any persistent signs or symptoms that worry you. Fibromuscular dysplasia. In fibromuscular dysplasia, the muscle in the artery wall grows abnormally, often from childhood.

The renal artery can have narrow sections alternating with wider sections, giving a bead-like appearance in images of the artery. The renal artery can narrow so much that the kidney doesn't get an adequate supply of blood and can lead to high blood pressure at a young age. This can happen in one or both kidneys. Experts don't know what causes fibromuscular dysplasia, but the condition is more common in women and may be something that's present at birth congenital.

Narrowed kidney arteries and fibromuscular dysplasia can affect other arteries in your body as well as your kidney arteries and cause complications.

Rarely, renal artery stenosis results from other conditions such as inflammation of the blood vessels or a growth that develops in your abdomen and presses on your kidneys' arteries.