Surgical thrombectomy which has been commonly performed in the past is now abandoned by most teams. Nevertheless some surgeons have gone on performing venous thrombectomies with good results. We have performed venous thrombectomy in 91 acute ilio-femoral vein thrombosis associated with inferior vena cava or superficial vein involvement in respectively 35% and 86% of the cases. The mean estimated age of the clot was 5 days. Ilio-femoral thrombectomy was carried out under general anesthesia using a Fogarty catheter introduced through a common femoral venotomy and the removal of the distal clots by mean of massages maneuver. In case of vena cava involvement, direct caval venotomy was carried out by a right sub-costal approach. A temporary arterio-venous fistula in the groin was associated in 89% and a partial interruption of the vena cava in 55% of the cases. No operative death and no peri-operative pulmonary embolism were observed. Post-operative ilio-femoral vein patency rate was 85% without recurrence after closure of the arterio-venous fistula. A venous thrombectomy in selected cases appears to be more efficient than intra-venous heparin or thrombolytic therapy. Indications of venous thrombectomy are ilio-femoral or ilio-caval vein thrombosis of less than 7 days duration. Patients who are non ambulatory or with limited life expectancy are not likely to benefit from surgery. Venous thrombectomy is not recommended in patients with inflammatory or tumoral pelvic or retroperitoneal lesions, coagulopathies, peripheral arterial or significant heart diseases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)