In response to the question regarding collateral supply to the kidney I
got
the following response from Beverley Ketel, the head of transplant
surgery
here at U. of Arkansas:


Lee,

Should I answer the question?  There are small collateral vessels which
can 
keep the kidney "alive" but do not allow any significant kidney
function. 
 Occasionally we identify a kidney which has had a recent renal artery 
occlusion and is still viable because of collaterals.  If the renal
artery is 
reconstructed the kidney sometimes functions again.  If the main artery
is 
occluded for too long no meaningful function returns to the kidney. 
Gary 
Barone has gotten one patient off dialysis by reconstructing both of her

occluded renal arteries.

Bev
 ----------
From: Lee Nix@CARDIAC
To: Beverley Ketel, M.D.
Subject: FW: RENAL ARTERY OCCLUSIONS
Date: Tuesday, November 05, 1996 2:13PM
Priority: High

Here is an interesting question for you from the peripheral vascular
email
system.  I wasn't aware that there were any collaterals for renal
arteries.