Arterial embolectomy in the leg: results in a referral hospital.

A review of 66 patients undergoing femoral embolectomy showed that 38 (58%) obtained a good final outcome (discharge from hospital with viable limb) while 28 (42%) died or required amputation prior to discharge. The major association with poor final outcome was pre-operative life-threatening cardiac disease which occurred in 17 (61%) of those patients who later died or underwent amputation and in six (16%) of those who were discharged with viable limbs (p less than 0.001). Age, sex, source of embolus, duration of ischaemia and pre-existing vascular disease had little effect on final outcome. Surgical dissatisfaction, at the time of operation, with the result of attempted revascularisation was of major prognostic significance in terms of future amputation or death.