Choosing the Right Treatment:

Medications, Stenting, or Surgical Intervention

Tony NguyenBio-Engineering

Removing wastes from the body Release of certain hormones Helps control blood pressure

What does a kidney do?

The main artery to the kidney Carries oxygen and nutrients

Renal Artery

Artery Blockage Pressure drop Kidney is fooled Induces the Renin-Angiotensin Mechanism Overall increase in blood pressure & volume

What happens in a stenosis?

Medications ◦ ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, ARB inhibitors◦ Blocks the renin-angiotensin mechanism

Different Treatments

Stenting◦ Improve blood flow

Different Treatments

Surgical Intervention◦ Associated risks

Different Treatments

3 months: prescreening & b.p. tests 3 months: diagnosis & b.p. tests 1 year: medications & b.p. tests 1 year: stenting & b.p. tests 1 year: surgery & b.p. tests

Experimental Design

Two kinds of patients◦ >> 140/90 mmHg (Group I)◦ ≈ 140/90 mmHg (Group II)

Improvement◦ Group I gets to140/90 mmHg◦ Group II gets to 130/85 mmHg◦ Everything else is a failure

Threshold for Improvement

Stenting will be the most effective◦ It should reduce medications◦ Not as risky◦ Not as time consuming

Hypothesis

Reduce errors Reduce unnecessary risks Reduce costs Reduce time

Why is this important?

Make the World…

…a Better Place!