The sympathetic nervous system and hypertension

The role of systemic sympathetic nerve activity in causing hypertension is well-known. 

Catheter-based interventional strategies that interrupt the renal sympathetic nervous system have shown promising results in providing better blood pressure control in patients with hypertension.

The renal sympathetic nervous system has two components:

  1. An efferent network supplies the kidneys with noradrenergic sympathetic fibers and raises the blood pressure by a direct effect on the kidney, promoting salt and water retention.
  2. An afferent network of sympathetic fibers returns signals to the central nervous system.

The Paradise Renal Denervation System

The Paradise Renal Denervation System is a minimally invasive procedure to treat overactive nerves leading to the kidney.   A small incision is made in the groin.  A small flexible catheter is inserted, and then placed in the artery supplying the kidney.   Ultrasound energy (sound waves) is delivered to the tissue surrounding the artery for several seconds.  The ultrasound energy generates heat to decrease the over-activity of the nerves leading to the kidney.  Both kidneys are treated.  Following treatment, the device is removed.

 

 

The Paradise Renal Denervation Catheter within the artery.  The red circle indicates the heat generated from the ultrasound energy in the tissue delivering energy within the artery.  The blue circle indicates active cooling from circulating water within the artery to protect the artery from heat

The white rings illustrate the heat deposited in the tissue, to decrease the over-activity of the nerves leading to the kidney.   Each ring represents one 7-second treatment.   Two to four treatments will be delivered to the left and right arteries supplying the kidney