Popliteal artery aneurysms. Past and present.

Popliteal artery aneurysms have had an important historic role in the development of modern vascular surgery. Early methods of surgical therapy for these aneurysms are detailed in this report for a persepctive. Clinical aspects of surgical diagnosis and treatment of 35 popliteal artery aneurysms in 26 patients are also reviewed. Such aneurysms often present with varied symptoms and should be considered a treacherous disease entity since limb loss occurs in a considerable number of patients. Coexisting disease frequently complicates both the intraoperative and postoperative course of these patients. In this series of popliteal aneurysms, excision and venous autograft interposition offered the most successful operative therapy.