A stent is small tube made of a metal or fabric mesh that is inserted into the body to improve the flow of fluids---usually blood through a blood vessel. Doctors place kidney stents in the renal arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood to the...
Hydronephrosis is characterized by a warping or ballooning of the renal pelvis and calyxes in the kidney, caused by increased pressure inside the kidney due to a blockage to the free flow of urine. The renal pelvis is a funnel-like tube that forms...
The blood flow into the kidney is carried from the aorta to the renal artery. As atherosclerotic plaque builds up in the aorta it will extend into the renal artery and slowly decrease the diameter of the artery at its origin. As this process...
High blood pressure, or hypertension, can occur in children as it does in adults. However, common causes for the disorder differ between the two age groups. While primary hypertension--high blood pressure not due to another disorder--predominates...
Arterial stent procedures are performed using angioplasty. This is a minimally invasive procedure used to improve blood flow in the arteries and veins. During the procedure, imaging techniques are used to guide a catheter into the blocked artery...
Coronary artery stents are placed inside one or more arteries in the heart when a person with heart disease experiences chest pain or a heart attack. The American Heart Association reports that over 70 percent of people who undergo angioplasty, a...
