Resolution of renal failure 1 month after onset through angioplasty of renal artery stenosis.

The stent placement in patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis and impaired renal function (STAR) and revascularization versus medical therapy for renal-artery stenosis (ASTRAL) trials concluded that renal artery angioplasty was not superior to medical management in delaying progression to renal failure or controlling blood pressure in a selected population. (1,2) There were several criticisms of the STAR trial's methodology, and an important criticism of ASTRAL was that the patient was excluded if their clinician was uncertain of the value in correcting the stenosis. Anuric renal failure by renal artery stenosis is a rare occurrence and falls outside this criteria.