Extra-anatomic Bypass was used in 36 patients for limb salvage at the Department of Surgery, University Hospital in Pilsen in a period of almost eleven years (1th January 1981-1th November 1991) constituting 8.2% of all vascular reconstructions. Amputation rate was 22.2% and mortality rate 8.3% (without direct connection with reconstruction). Extra-anatomic reconstruction was used in such cases only where the anatomic bypass was excluded for general or local causes.