Mortality and amputations after limb ischemia following thromboembolic obstruction show no significant improvements despite the technical progressions based on the use of Fogarty catheter. The Author analizes 98 patients surgically treated, to point out the reasons of failures: 14,5% mortality and 11% amputations in embolic ischemia and 11% and respectively 16% in acute thrombosis; the age resulted over 70 in 70% of patients; in the 75% embolic origin was determined by a atherosclerotic senile cardiopathy. In case of embolic ischemia, highly significantly from a statistical point of view worse results were observed for proximal obstructions. In overall patients must be noted a mortality of 6% under the age of 60 and 22% over this age. Finally, once again considering the embolic obstruction, the length of ischemic time was observed directly correlated with functional results.