ARTERIAL EMBOLISM AND EMBOLECTOMY: REPORT OF CASES

An embolus occluding one of the main arterial stems of the extremities is an uncommon occurrence. Bull 1 demonstrated embolism of the extremities fifteen times in 6,140 postmortem examinations. Such an accident frequently results in gangrene of the affected limb, and amputation becomes necessary. With the development of vascular surgery, operative removal of obstructing emboli naturally was tried. The first attempt was made by Ssabanejew 2 in 1895 but was unsuccessful. Following him several other surgeons performed arteriotomy for the removal of emboli, but none of these succeeded in reestablishing the circulation. In 1911 Labey 2 of France performed the first successful embolectomy and in the following year Key 3 performed the second successful one. Mainly as a result of the work of Key, this operation has had great vogue and success in Sweden. Up to the latter part of 1928, Petitpierre 4 collected 118 reports of embolectomy from the