Between January 1970 and October 1977, 95 operations of revascularisation of 124 lower limbs were carried out using the axillary artery in 92 patients. 84 patients had very severe ischemia, acute or chronic, which threatened the survival of the limb. In all, direct surgery was too dangerous (77 cases) or impossible owing to local or regional problems (7 cases). The results gave a mortality during the first two months of 13% in which infective complications of the technic accounted for 3.5%. The latter were frequent (12%) but a certain number of them could have been prevented (6%). 55 patients (65%) had a good result at two months (weight-bearing conserved) whilst 20%, i.e. 18 patients were amputated, of which five had a permeable by pass which permitted conservation of the knee. We observed the highest percentage of deaths (3/8 i.e. 37%) in bilateral emergency revascularisations for acute ischemia. We observed a very low percentage of early thrombosis (4%) in axillary bifemoral by pass performed for chronic ischemia. The operation is of great value when no other direct surgical technic is possible and only in these cases. 8 patients underwent an axillary by pass to treat infective complications of aorto-iliac surgery. 4 early deaths showed the severity of this complication (50%). Tactical aspects are discussed briefly.