Hypertension, also known as the “silent killer,” affects 7.5 million people per year. Most people with Hypertension are not diagnosed, and for those that are it may be difficult to reduce their blood pressure, even if they are on medication. “A small percentage of patients develop uncontrolled drug-resistant hypertension. This means that despite treatment, even taking a number of drugs at the same time, they will struggle to balance their blood pressure,” says Dr. Ayelet Shauer, Chief of the Department of Cardiology at Hadassah Ein Kerem. “It is difficult to stay on a combination of drugs for a long time. High blood pressure can cause a variety of fatal medical conditions such as heart attacks and strokes. ” ” About a year ago, We introduced a new treatment method at Hadassah to deal with extreme cases. This is an innovative procedure based on an older method that had already proved to be effective in the 1950s. Practically the operation is to “burn” the sympathetic nerves leaving the adrenal gland to other parts of the body, causing a drop in blood pressure of the patient. Historically, this method has proven problematic because it required a surgery. Recently, the use of a catheter through the artery replaced major surgery. ”

Twenty -four patients at Hadassah have successfully undergone this procedure. According to Dr. Shauer, all patients showed signs of improvement characterized by a decrease in blood pressure. One patient was even able to stop taking drugs. In his opinion, the procedure will be improved and the timing shortened. “While this news is promising, I wish to emphasize that this treatment is intended for patients with hypertension at high risk and not to those who respond positively to drug treatment.”