Post-transplant renal artery stenosis: impact of therapy on long-term kidney function and blood pressure control.

Purpose: We assessed the long-term outcome of different treatment methods for transplant renal artery stenosis.

Materials And Methods: Outcome data for 23 patients with transplant renal artery stenosis treated during a 16-year period were reviewed and analyzed.

Results: There was a higher incidence of renal artery stenosis in cadaveric donor kidneys compared to living donor kidneys (2% versus 0.

Percutaneous management of upper tract foreign bodies.

Although percutaneous management of calculi has become less frequent, the techniques developed for that purpose are being used to manage patients with more complex upper tract problems. Percutaneous techniques analogous to those used for stone disease were applied in four patients with upper tract foreign bodies (silk suture, balloon catheter or stent fragments) inaccessible to definitive ureteroscopic management. Three patients had associated calculi.

Management of variceal bleeding in the 1990s.

Background: Variceal bleeding is a common and serious problem.

Objective: To review the current management of patients with variceal bleeding.

Summary: Therapeutic options now include pharmacologic reduction of portal hypertension, endoscopic obliteration of varices, placement of decompressive shunts (both surgical and percutaneous), and liver transplantation.

Percutaneous management of transplant ureteral fistulas: patient selection and long-term results.

Of 24 renal allograft recipients with urinary extravasation 14 (58%) with ureteral fistulas were selected for percutaneous management in an attempt to obviate secondary operative intervention. The initial procedure in all cases was placement of a percutaneous nephrostomy tube with subsequent internal or internal/external stenting. With a mean followup of 47 months, the percutaneous management proved definitive in 5 patients (36%) and palliative in 1 (7%).

Diagnosis and localization of laceration of the thoracic duct: usefulness of lymphangiography and CT.

The usefulness of lymphangiography and CT in the diagnosis and localization of laceration of the thoracic duct was evaluated in 12 patients with chylothorax or chylous ascites after surgery. Bipedal lymphangiography was performed in all 12 patients. The last four patients studied also had CT after lymphangiography.