A 64-year-old woman presented with recurrent infarction of the right kidney. Because of suspected dysfunction of the contralateral kidney, revascularisation of the occluded right renal artery was attempted. Local thrombolysis with urokinase was unrewarding. So-called rheolytic thrombectomy by means of a Hydrolyser was successful in opening the right main renal artery. Although recovery of right renal function was not complete, renal scintigraphy confirmed salvage of most of the right kidney parenchyma.