The increasing incidence of arteriosclerotic occlusive disease of the arterial system parallels our ageing population. Until the etiology, course, and duration of this vascular problem are understood, the role of the surgeon in its treatment, albeit palliative, will continue to be of paramount importance. At present no single revascularization procedure is intrinsically ideal; various combinations of techniques are being used depending upon the extent of the arteriosclerotic process.
This study presents our experience with gas endarterectomy (the injection of a bolus of carbon dioxide gas to dissect the thrombotic of an artery) in 36 patients with limb ischemia due to arteriosclerotic occlusive disease.
Whereas intervention on injured or diseased blood vessels has been practiced for centuries, the first successful deliberate reconstruction of a blood vessel was accomplished in 1905 with the introduction of autogenous vein grafts by Carrel and Guthrie.1
It was the pioneering of dos Santos,2 who,