Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated surgical treatment of patients with acute arterial occlusion.

Patients and Methods: A total of 142 patients who underwent surgical treatment for acute arterial occlusion was retrospectively evaluated in three groups according to the etiology, that is, peripheral arterial embolism (62 patients; 19 men, 43 women; mean age 62 years), peripheral arterial thrombosis (60 patients; 32 men, 28 women; mean age 68 years), and graft thrombosis (20 men, mean age 55 years).

Results: The cause of arterial occlusion was embolism in 44% and thrombosis in 56% (42% native vessel thrombosis, 14% graft thrombosis). The most frequent anatomic location of occlusion was the femoral artery (52% in embolism, 84% in thrombosis). Malignancy was detected in five and two patients with peripheral arterial embolism and thrombosis, respectively. Nine patients (6%) required amputation, of whom two had embolism, four had thrombosis, and three had graft thrombosis. The mortality rate was 4% (n=6).

Conclusion: Malignancies and graft thrombosis are becoming more common among the etiologic factors of acute arterial occlusion.