[Does intermittent claudication justify surgical intervention]

The authors have re-examined their therapeutic attitude toward the intermittent claudication upon arteriopathy. They feel that it is useful to divide patients having an arteriopathy (Stage II) into two groups: the first having isolated (or dominant) high aorto-iliac lesions and the second with isolated or dominant lesions at the mid-femoral level. In the first group, we remained faithful to reconstructive surgery and our preference goes to thrombo-endarteriectomy with accompanying low lumbar sympathectomy. In femoral lesions, we do not recommend reconstructive surgery of the arteries but rather low lumbar sympathectomy. For the past year, we have undertaken a program of physical re-education and the results seem very encouraging, especially in patients having isolated femoral lesions. It is not impossible that this physical therapy may be used instead of lumbar sympathectomy, to which one can always resort in case of insufficient results.