SARASOTA, Fla. (Jan. 2, 2026) – Sarasota Memorial Hospital is among the first wave of U.S. hospitals offering renal denervation, a minimally invasive outpatient procedure to treat people with high blood pressure that does not respond to conventional medications and lifestyle therapies.
“We are very excited to bring this innovative therapy to our community,” said Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Chief Medical Officer James Fiorica, MD. “Uncontrolled hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. For patients who don’t respond to medication, renal denervation offers a crucial new treatment option and promising new path forward.”
The first device-based treatment for resistant hypertension, renal denervation was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in late 2023, but it wasn’t until December 2025 that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a national coverage determination, paving the way for broad insurance coverage and access in 2026.
SMH and interventional cardiologists Daniel Molloy, MD, Jeffrey Rossi, MD, and Ricardo Yaryura, MD, are among the first providers in the Florida using Medtronic’s FDA-approved Symplicity Spyral™ system.
During the 1-hour outpatient procedure, doctors make a small incision in the groin and guide a catheter to the renal arteries in your kidneys. They use the specialized catheter to deliver precisely controlled and targeted radiofrequency pulses to disrupt and reduce overactive nerve signals between the kidneys and brain, which helps lower blood pressure.
For many with resistant hypertension, the procedure provides sustained relief, allowing them to reduce their blood pressure medication dosage or stop taking the medications completely.
That’s what Sarasota retiree Donald Fagan, 73, is looking forward to in 2026. On Dec. 30, after struggling for years to manage his hypertension with multiple medications, exercise and other lifestyle changes, he was the first patient to receive the catheter-based blood pressure treatment at SMH.
On the day of his procedure, his blood pressure reached a high of 188/110. He remained awake for the 1-hour procedure and said he felt better almost immediately. He happily posed for photos with Dr. Rossi and the SMH team before going home the same day.
The morning after his procedure, Fagan was amazed to find his blood pressure near normal, measuring 139/85, down from an average 160/90 or higher.
“I feel like the poster boy for this new procedure,” Fagan said with a chuckle. “That was exactly what we were hoping for. Hopefully, it’s a good sign for the year ahead.”
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with 2,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 2 million patient visits a year across its network of care. Sarasota County’s largest employer, the community-owned health system includes two full-service hospitals in Sarasota and Venice, freestanding ERs in North Port and Lakewood Ranch, a rehabilitation hospital, behavioral health hospital, skilled nursing facility and comprehensive network of outpatient centers, urgent care clinics and physician practices. Founded in 1925, SMH celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2025 and has commemorated its storied history on smh.com/100.