Acute arterial occlusion - kidney

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Kidney anatomy

Kidney - blood and urine flow

Kidney blood supply

Acute renal arterial thrombosis; Renal artery embolism; Acute renal artery occlusion; Embolism - renal artery

Often, no specific treatment is recommended. Blood clots may resolve spontaneously in time.

If the blockage is discovered within a few hours of its occurrence, or if the affected kidney is the only functional kidney, attempts may be made to open the artery.

Attempts to open the artery may include use of clot-dissolving medications (thrombolytics) and medications that prevent the blood from clotting (anticoagulants) such as Coumadin.

Surgical repair of the artery or removal of the blockage with a catheter inserted into the artery by a radiologist may be required in some cases.

Treatment for acute renal failure may be appropriate.

If only one kidney is affected, the healthy kidney may take over filtering and urine production. Damage caused by arterial occlusion may be temporary, but it is usually permanent. If there is only one functional kidney, arterial occlusion results in acute renal failure that often persists as chronic renal failure.

• Hypertension
• Malignant hypertension
• Acute renal failure
• Renal artery stenosis
• Chronic renal failure
• End-stage renal disease

Call your health care provider if urine production stops, or if sudden, severe pain occurs in the back, flank, or abdomen.

If you have only one functional kidney and symptoms of acute arterial occlusion appear, go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number such as 911.

Review Date: 12/09/2005
Reviewed By: Colm C. Magee, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Renal Transplant, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.