Acute thrombosis of the infrarenal aorta. Therapeutic problems.

Acute thrombosis of the infrarenal aorta is a rare event, usually complicating aortic atherosclerotic lesions or aortic aneurysms. During the last twelve years, we treated 10 acute aortic thromboses out of 353 acute ischemias of the lower limbs (2.8%). The high mortality of our series (60%) is related to advanced age (71 years on average), severe underlying cardiopathy, and the frequent involvement of the renal and mesenteric vessels. In our experience Fogarty catheter thrombectomy is usually ineffective, and the surgical approach in high risk patients should be confined to axillobifemoral bypass graft.