Vascular surgery of acute cases, embolism and thromboses encountered since 1973 in the Surgical division of Manerbio (BS) hospital is reviewed and reference made to the surgical treatment and results in 78 cases of direct vascular surgery in 68 acute patients. Following schematic presentation of the type of pathology observed and of the types of operation performed, stress is laid on the effectiveness of Vollmar rings in association with traditional Fogarty catheters in thrombectomy operations. The frequent need to associate by-pass or disobliteration of the acutely occluded segment with thrombectomy in acute thrombosis is also pointed out. The varied series involves most acute vascular pathology, inluding sapheno-femoral anastomosis, and the very low mortality and small number of amputations support surgical indications and the techniques employed.