Norton Heart & Vascular Institute offers groundbreaking treatment for high blood pressure

Kentucky Health News

Norton Heart & Vascular Institute in Louisville is the first in Kentucky and Southern Indiana to offer a new procedure to treat hypertension when lifestyle changes and medications are not enough. The procedure is called renal denervation.

For some patients with high blood pressure, the nerves near the kidneys can become overactive. Applying radiofrequency energy to these nerves can help calm them, thereby reducing blood pressure, says the news release.

The new Symplicity Spyral renal denervation (RDN) system is the only one of its kind offered in the United States.

“We take a very thin tube into the artery that goes to the kidney and send electrical pulses to calm those nerves,” said Matthew J. Sousa, M.D., interventional cardiologist, Norton Heart & Vascular Institute. “It’s a simple, minimally invasive procedure that only requires minimal sedation, and the patient can usually go home the same day.”

Elevated blood pressure is a reading above 120/80 mmHg. For some people, blood pressure can reach a seriously elevated level categorized as stage 2 hypertension or advanced hypertension. This happens when the systolic (the top number) blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, or a diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher. This level of high blood pressure requires serious medical attention.

If left untreated, stage 2 hypertension can lead to stroke, heart attack and serious damage to the kidneys, eyes and brain.

Nearly two in five Kentucky adults were told in 2021 by a healthcare professional that they have high blood pressure, according to the latest available data. The age-adjusted death rate from the disease in Kentucky is 10.9 deaths per 100,000 residents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.