Heart Matters: First-in-state procedure at Beacon helps patient control blood pressure

Kevin Troupe was just 16 when he was diagnosed with hypertension. For the next 15 years, he cycled through blood pressure medications, struggling to find relief. Now, thanks to a groundbreaking procedure being performed at Beacon, Kevin is experiencing the possibility of reducing his dependence on medication.

Kevin Troupe

Kevin’s case, however, was not typical. Unlike many hypertension patients, his symptoms were impossible to ignore.

He had migraines that wouldn’t go away for hours. His vision sometimes grew blurry, and he developed floaters in his eyes. He also had several blood pressure readings as high as 150/82.

Given Kevin’s symptoms and medication challenges, his kidney and hypertension specialist, Dr. Syed Rizvi, Beacon Medical Group Cleveland Road, had been researching new treatment options. He learned about a new medical procedure that could help lower blood pressure and referred Kevin to Dr. Shakil Aslam, Beacon Medical Group Advanced Cardiovascular Specialists South Bend, to see if he might be a good candidate.

How kidneys affect blood pressure

“Hypertension is a silent killer, and many patients don’t have any symptoms,” Dr. Aslam says. “The first symptom may be a heart attack, stroke, kidney damage or heart failure.” Superstar Tina Turner raised awareness of how hypertension can harm the kidneys when she spoke openly about her kidney issues after downplaying her hypertension for years.

Dr. Syed Rizvi

But what’s less known is that kidneys also affect blood pressure, creating a two-way relationship.

“Increased activity in nerves within the kidneys has been linked to hypertension by sending brain signals,” Dr. Aslam says. “These signals affect the volume of blood in the body and how well it flows through blood vessels, as well as constricting the blood vessels.”

By disrupting the nerve signals between the kidneys and the brain, doctors can reduce blood pressure through a minimally invasive procedure called renal denervation. Beacon became the first health system in Indiana to offer this innovative treatment earlier this year.

“Renal denervation lowers the blood pressure by 10 to 25 points in certain patients,” Dr. Aslam says. At this time, the treatment is only offered to patients whose blood pressure is not adequately controlled despite taking four or more blood pressure medications, like Kevin.

For Kevin, the opportunity felt like a lifeline. “I don’t think there have been many people to get the procedure,” he says. “I was happy to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did.”

Dr. Shakil Aslam

Minimally invasive renal denervation

The procedure was straightforward. Dr. Aslam threaded a wire through an artery to Kevin’s kidneys, then used carefully targeted radio frequencies to disable select nerves. Kevin only needed to take a single day off work for the same-day procedure, which took place at Memorial Hospital of South Bend under mild sedation.

The procedure is very different from kidney surgeries used in the past. Before blood pressure medications, the kidney nerves were removed through major open surgery requiring many days of recovery, Dr. Aslam says.

“Now we can do the same surgery with a small poke in the artery under sedation and local anesthesia,” he says.

While this innovative approach offers new hope, Dr. Aslam emphasizes that medications are still the first line of treatment, along with a low-salt diet and exercise. But patients like Kevin, who cannot control their blood pressure despite these measures, are potential candidates for renal denervation.

A positive outcome

Kevin’s procedure went well, but what impressed him most was the care he received at Beacon.

“Everyone was so kind and attentive. Dr. Aslam is very nice. He did everything he could to better my experience,” Kevin says. “I believe he actually cares about me as a person. I’m not just another number.”

Most importantly, the results speak for themselves. A recent blood pressure reading was 116/74.

Dr. Aslam says Kevin’s symptoms are the kind that people shouldn’t ignore. It’s important for younger people to have their blood pressure checked once a year, and more frequently for the elderly or if you have symptoms like frequent headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, blurry vision, palpitations or even nose bleeds.

Now, Kevin hopes to be able to reduce his regimen of four hypertension medications because his blood pressure is better controlled. “I would definitely recommend this procedure.”

Learn more

Beacon Heart, Vascular and Stroke care leads the way in local cardiovascular care. Cardiologists, electrophysiologists, heart surgeons, vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, stroke specialists, heart failure and rehabilitation team – they are all here at Beacon, delivering the quality care you have come to expect from us.