Problems in indications for vascular reconstructive surgery

: The authors discuss examinations made before a planned vascular reconstruction operation. As the number of vascular reconstruction operations is steadily increasing, and the operations affect the entire organism, and the operations are associated with a relatively high mortality rate, the authors try to reduce the latter by the correct classification into a risk group, select the correct order of surgical operations, and last not least, on the basis of these conclusions they try to define also the surgical procedure proper during reconstruction. As atherosclerotic affections can be isolated or combined, the authors divide the patients into three groups. The first group can be subjected to a reconstruction operation without special preparation. The second group comprises patients where it is either necessary to confirm or rule out affection of extracranial cerebral arteries and the third group comprises patients where it is necessary to confirm or rule out affection of the coronary arteries. The aim of this comprehensive procedure is to reduce as much as possible the surgical mortality.