ABSTRACT
Acute arterial insuciency remains a morbid disease; 30-day mortality remains nearly 15% with an amputation rate of 10%–30%.1 ere has, however, been marked improvement in the treatment options, decreasing the morbidity and mortality that the treatment itself brings. e most signicant progress in limb salvage for acute arterial ischemia came about with two developments in the twentieth century. First, heparin anticoagulation has made it possible to limit the propagation of clot distal to the point of occlusion and to reduce the incidence of recurrent embolus and thrombosis. Second, the Fogarty balloon catheter, introduced in 1963, made it possible to extract emboli and thrombi from arteries, with a device far better suited for this purpose than the devices used in the past such as corkscrew wires or suction catheters.2 Furthermore, the expanding array of endovascular techniques and their successes in chronic peripheral
arterial disease have created increasing minimally invasive options for acute arterial insuciency as well. is chapter describes the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and current procedures for treatment of acute arterial insuciency.
