THE NUMBER of technically successful aortic embolectomies has been so few that reiteration of the problems arising seems to be worth while. McClure and Harkins1 in 1943 presented a review of the entire subject of peripheral arterial embolism. No attempt will be made to add to their excellent summary of the literature. Nineteen successful aortic embolectomies were reported in their review. Five of these operations were performed transperitoneally, five retroperitoneally and seven by retrograde milking or by extraction through the femoral arteries; the method in two instances was not stated. In 1945 Linton2 reported a successful aortic embolectomy and discussed in detail the technic of the transperitoneal approach. He also suggested manual manipulation of the embolus in one common iliac artery into the other for extraction through one arteriotomy. The early clinical recognition of acute occlusion of the abdominal aorta is not difficult if an examination of the