Digital intravenous substraction angiography in the evaluation of reconstructed renal arteries

Digital intravenous subtraction angiography (DISA) was used to evaluate 28 patients who had undergone renal artery reconstruction either as part of a renal transplant procedure or for treatment of renovascular hypertension. Satisfactory visualization of the renal artery was obtained in 26 cases, and the clinical questions were adequately answered in these cases. The findings included a variety of possible outcomes and demonstrate the adequacy of DISA as a means of evaluating the results of renal artery surgery. Technical and anatomic factors affecting the quality of the examination are discussed. The cases also illustrate the critical importance of thorough familiarity with the surgical procedures in general and of mutual discussion between surgeon and radiologist in optimizing the DISA examination in a given patient.