[Acute arterial obstructions and emergencies in vascular surgery (author's transl)]

Acute arterial obstruction due to embolism or thrombosis require surgery within 6 hours in case of complete ischaemia. The removing of the occluding material can be done in every hospital under local anaesthesia using a Fogarty-catheter. Reconstruction of injured arteries must be accomplished immediately after preliminary haemostasis by local compression in a surgical department with a special equipment for vascular diagnosis and surgery. The rupture of an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta signifies a poor risk for the patient. To obtain a chance quick diagnosis, shock-therapy and an immediate transport into a specialized hospital for surgery are indispensable.