The most typical emergency patient of vascular surgery is suffering from urgent lower limb ischemia, potentially threatening the viability of the limb. Life-threatening conditions requiring immediate treatment include rupture of the abdominal aorta as well as septicemia associated with necrosis of a neuropathic-ischemic leg of the diabetic patient. Stenosis of the carotid artery requires an emergency operation, if in spite of antithrombotic medication the patient exhibits persistent transient symptoms of paresis or attacks of blindness. Vascular injury should be suspected and a vascular surgeon consulted in limb injuries, if the pulse cannot be conclusively felt distally.