Preparing for an appointment

For renal artery stenosis, you may start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in conditions that affect the kidneys (nephrologist) or a heart and blood vessel specialist (cardiologist), particularly if blood pressure is difficult to control or kidney function worsens.

Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, as well as what to expect from your doctor.

What you can do

To prepare for your appointment:

• Write down symptoms you have, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
• Make a list of all medications, vitamins and supplements that you take, including dosages.
• Share key medical information with your doctor, including past or current smoking or use of other tobacco products.
• Ask a family member or friend to come along. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all of the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
• Write down questions to ask your doctor.

For renal artery stenosis, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

• What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
• What kinds of tests do I need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
• Is this condition temporary or long lasting?
• What will happen to my kidney?
• What treatments are available, and which do you recommend?
• What side effects can I expect from treatment?
• I have other health conditions. How can I best manage these conditions together?
• Do I need to follow any dietary restrictions? What about activity restrictions?
• Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing for me?
• What's the appropriate level for my blood pressure? Is there anything I can do to help bring it down?
• Do you have any printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?

In addition to the questions that you've prepared, don't hesitate to ask other questions as they occur to you during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:

• When did you first begin experiencing symptoms?
• Are you a current or past smoker, or do you use any other type of tobacco products?
• Does anything seem to improve or worsen your symptoms?
• Do you know your average blood pressure values?
• Have you had your kidney function measured?
• Does anyone in your family have a history of high blood pressure or kidney disease?