[Surgical indications in popliteal aneurysm].

45 popliteal aneurysms were surgically treated in 35 patients. In 18 cases surgery was necessitated by emergency conditions: acute arterial occlusion due to thrombosis and (or) embolism (acute critical ischaemia) in 17 cases; rupture of an aneurysm in one case. Five major amputations could not be avoided. Elective surgical intervention in 27 cases, on the other hand, only resulted in the amputation of one leg. Given the high incidence of serious complications such as thrombosis and embolism in popliteal aneurysm and the reduced success rate of surgery in acute critical ischaemia, surgical correction upon diagnosis is recommended.