[Experience with the surgical treatment of peripheral arterial occlusions]

A total of 293 patients were treated 320 times for acute peripheral vascular occlusion. Arterial embolism was most frequent followed by arterial thrombosis and traumatic vascular occlusion. For differential diagnosis other causes had to be considered. The method of choice is extraction of the thrombus by Fogarty catheter or ringstripper. The results depend on the time between occurrence and operative treatment of the occlusion. Angiography is not necessary in a clear case of embolism, but essential when exact preoperative classification of the vascular occlusion is not possible.