To study the effect of gender on outcome following renal artery stent placement for renovascular hypertension, we prospectIvely followed 66 patients (30 males, 36 females) who underwent Palmaz stent placement in 89 renal arteries. There was no difference in the incidence of procedure-related complications between males and females. At 6-mo follow-up, the decrease in systolic (35 +/- 30 mm Hg and 27 +/- 25 mm Hg) and diastolic (15 +/- 23 mm Hg and 14 +/- 14 mm Hg) blood pressures was similar in female and male patients, respectIvely. Late follow-up at 19 +/- 11 mo also showed no difference in blood pressure response. In 44 patients who underwent repeat angiography at a mean duration of 9.1 +/- 5.6 mo after stent deployment, the incidence of restenosis was 26% in females and 24% in males (P = 0.85). We conclude that gender has no effect on the incidence of complications, blood pressure response, or angiographic restenosis in patients undergoing renal artery stent placement.