RPcurrent pulmonary emboli occurred in 26 of 85 patients (31%) after inferior vena caval interruption to prevent pulmonary emboli. Sequelce follom*ng this procedure included early problems associated with bleeding, venous thrombosis, the sequestration syndrome, and death. Late sequela were recurrent episodes of venous thrombosis, the post-phlebitic syndrome and recurrent emboli. Inferior vena caval interruption is associated with significantcontinuing disability, and it fails to solve the problem it was designed to prevent.