Twenty-eight patients (17 women, 11 men, average age 67 years, range 40-85 years) with embolic occlusions of the popliteal arteries were treated by aspiration embolectomy. 6 patients were in clinical stage IIb and 22 in stage III. In 25 of the 28 patients the occlusion was treated successfully. Complications could be treated non-surgically at the same time. 2 of the patients died within the first week of cerebral emboli, 2 further patients suffered recurrent emboli in the treated extremity during the first month. 17 patients who were followed up for six months were free of recurrences.
Adult Aged