BP.06.05] RENAL NERVE STIMULATION IDENTIFIES AORTICORENAL INNERVATION AND PREVENTS INADVERTENT ABLATION OF PARASYMPATHETIC NERVES DURING RENAL SYMPATHETIC DENERVATION

Abstract

Objective: Recently we reported the use of renal nerve stimulation (RNS) during renal denervation (RDN) procedures. We hypothesized that electrical stimulation of the sympathetic nerve tissue in the renal artery would lead to an increase in BP and vagal stimulation would cause a decrease in BP. The objective of the current study is to report the different patterns of BP and heart rate responses elicited by RNS prior to RDN. Design and method: Thirty-five patients with drug-resistant hypertension were included. RNS was performed under general anesthesia at four sites in the right and left renal arteries, both before and immediately after RDN. RNS-induced BP and heart rate changes were monitored. Results: A total of 289 RNS sites in 35 patients were analyzed. An increase in systolic BP of >10 mmHg was regarded as a positive BP response to RNS. This pattern of response was observed in 180 sites (62%). 86 RNS sites (30%) showed an indifferent response with BP changes >10 mmHg. At 13 sites (4.5%) RNS elicited a decrease in BP up to -8 mmHg. However, 10 RNS sites (3.5%) showed a pronounced vagal response with hypotension and sinus arrests ranging between 4224–10272 milliseconds. These sites were distributed among two patients. Conclusions: RNS identified sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve tissue in the renal arteries. RNS can be potentially used to map nerve bundles and guide selective ablation of sympathetic nerve fibers and prevent inadvertent ablation of parasympathetic nerve tissue during RDN.