Transluminal Angioplasty of Transplanted Renal Artery Stenosis: A Review of the Literature for Its Safety and Efficacy

Transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) is a well-known cause of posttransplant hypertension accompanied by possible graft dysfunction and is potentially curable when is diagnosed early. Colour Doppler Ultrasonography (CDU) is the screening procedure of choice in most studies whereas some centers employ Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA), if available. Although both CDU and MRA can arouse suspicion of disease in less symptomatic cases, angiographic techniques are essential for confirmation of TRAS. Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty (PTA) is a good and widespread therapeutic approach for the treatment of TRAS due to its acceptable complication rate and high technical success rate. The purpose of this paper is to assess the safety and efficacy of PTA in the treatment of TRAS, to compare the long-term outcomes between different reports, and to examine the role of PTA with stenting in inhibiting recurrence of the disease.