[Embolism in healthy arteries]

The authors present a series of 64 patients with arterial embolism in healthy arteries. 53 of these patients underwent one or several embolectomies, using a Fogarty catheter. Although arterial embolism has a poor prognosis owing to the constitutional background (15 p. 100 mortality and 12 p. 100 amputations), this is mainly due to the age of the patient. The severity of the initial attack and the delay between embolism and embolectomy seem to be the main factors in prognosis. Massive ischemia causes severe symptoms in these fragile patients and an early cure is necessary to compensate this disturbance. Heparin perfusion, whilst awaiting surgical treatment, is essential. Embolectomy by Fogarty's catheter may be carried out under local anesthesia; this remains the essential measure and has greatly improved the prognosis of this disease which used to be fatal in almost 60 p. 100 of cases, even in healthy arteries.