A new treatment for highly resistant hypertension patients was unveiled at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital's cardiology unit.
"Renal denervation is a procedure whereby the renal nerves are disrupted using radio frequency," Gauteng health spokesman Simon Zwane said. Three patients with very resistant forms of high blood pressure underwent the operation, which is new to sub-Saharan Africa.
Treatment is safe and effective
During the procedure, a guiding catheter is inserted through the groin and into the femoral artery, through the aorta and into the renal arteries.
It had been proven as an effective, safe and durable cure for hypertension. The treatment was not a first-line therapy, and would only be given to patients who met specific criteria, Zwane said.
It was advantageous, however, because anti-hypertension drugs frequently had unpleasant side effects.
(Sapa, February 2012)
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