Background: Acute critical lower limb ischemia refers to the state of severely impaired vitality of lower limbs due to acute occlusion of arterial blood vessel by a thrombus or emboli. Surgical revascularization in the first 6-12 hours after the onset of symptoms gives the best results. However, a high mortality rate and probability of limb loss make this problem more debatable, and can be related with associated diseases.

Methods: This research included 95 patients who had been operated within the first 12 hours after the onset of symptoms of critical limb ischemia We collected the following data: age and sex of patients, etiology of limb ischemia, type of operation, associated diseases and outcome of treatment.

Conclusions: Most of the patients were 70 to 80 years old, both sexes being equally represented. There was significantly more arterial embolism (70%) than thrombosis on the prior arterial lesion. Most of the embolizations were treated with Fogarty balloon catheter embolectomy (98%); however, a great number ofarterial thrombosis demanded more complex "inflow" and "outflow" ensuring procedures such as thromboendarterectomy and bypass (33%). The performed surgical procedures showed no statistical differences when final outcome was analyzed. Amputation had to be performed in about 3% of the patients and all of them were diabetics. Mortality rate in this research was 10.5% and 7/10 with this outcome had severe form of chronic myocardiopathy and metabolic decompensation. Conclusions: Acute critical lower limb ischemia should be treated surgically as soon as possible. Negative outcomes are associated with comorbidity and general condition of the patient.