[Our experience on intestinal infarct. 21 cases]

Five years experience in the field of acute intestinal ischaemia, a total of 21 cases, is examined and it is concluded, in agreement with the literature, that most patients undergo simple laparotomy (70%) because diagnosis is made late or there is an operative surprise. In the event of diagnostic suspicion leading to operation in the early hours, therapeutic successes quoad vitam leave a short intestine syndrome with metabolic complications that are hard to manage. The possibility of large-scale employment of diagnostic tools such as selective arteriography that makes early diagnosis possible is therefore necessary.