TRENDS IN VASCULAR-SURGERY - AN EVALUATION OF OPERATIVE ACTIVITY IN FINLAND 1976-1992

To evaluate trends in vascular surgical activity in Finland, data were gathered from cross-sectional questionnaire surveys during three sepa rate years. The material consisted of 1,658 (1976) and 4,887 (1992) pr ocedures in Finland, and 1,039 (1988) and 1,212 (1992) in the Tampere region. In 1976 there was an annual mean of 350 vascular reconstructio ns per one million inhabitants, 660 in 1992, and 967 if also endovascu lar revascularisations were included. Sympathectomy was virtually vani shed by 1995 thromboembolectomies clearly decreasing, carotid, aortic aneurysm and femorodistal surgery increasing and endovascular surgery emerging as a new major force, comprising of one third of all vascular activity. Vascular surgical activity appears to be strongly increasin g, but the treatment pattern has markedly changed towards well-targete d endovascular and vascular interventions with a decreasing number of emergency operations and ill defined procedures like sympathectomies.