Hypertension has few noticeable symptoms, but when left untreated, the condition can lead to grave outcomes. 

The World Health Organization estimates that 1.28 billion adults worldwide have hypertension, or high blood pressure, and nearly 46% are unaware they have the condition. 

With less than half of adults with hypertension even being diagnosed, much less treated, it’s no surprise that hypertension has become one of the most common causes of premature deaths worldwide. 

At Spartanburg Medical Center, cardiologists are performing an innovative procedure to treat hypertension, setting patients on a steady path to recovery. 

In 2024, Spartanburg Medical Center began using Recor Medical’s Paradise® Ultrasound Renal Denervation System and is one of three hospitals in South Carolina performing procedures with this system. 

The procedure is offered as a treatment option when lifestyle changes, medications and other interventions have not adequately controlled someone’s blood pressure. 

With more research and data, providers hope to make this a frontline treatment option for hypertension regardless of someone’s history of prior treatment attempts. 

“I love that we can offer something new. It is always great to say, ‘Here’s what we’ve offered in the past. Maybe it’s worked for some, but now we have a new tool in our toolbox,’” said Dr. Brian Brown, an interventional cardiologist. “It’s great to be able to offer something that could be of great benefit.” 

Renal denervation reduces activity in the renal nerves in the kidneys to help lower blood pressure. A balloon-like device goes into a main renal artery through a femoral artery access point near the groin and then inflates with a coolant. A catheter is used to send ultrasound energy to the renal arteries, which are the blood vessels supplying blood to the kidneys. The energy then destroys, or ablates, the renal nerves without damaging arteries. This procedure ultimately reduces the blood pressure in the body.  Renal denervation is completed within 45 minutes and patients go home and back to their normal routines within one to two hours following surgery. 

Additionally, unlike medications, which can respond differently based on the patient and relies on a strict adherence to following the right dosage and administration, renal denervation begins to work on lowering blood pressure around the clock as soon as the procedure is complete. 

Through this clinical innovation, Spartanburg Medical Center is one of two South Carolina hospitals enrolling patients on a voluntary basis in a study to track meaningful data on the effectiveness of the procedure. 

“Most people we are seeing now are patients on four or five plus medications or are having recurring emergency room visits,” Dr. Brown said. “This procedure will hopefully gradually reduce the frequency of that happening."