Restoration of work capacity after major vascular surgical interventions. Expectations and reality

130 patients who had been working pre-operatively were examined and interviewed at least one year after an aorto-femoral bypass operation; 40.8% had continued smoking. Although 83.8% of patients were satisfied with the result of the operation, 73.9% could not be fully rehabilitated despite a successful operation. The majority of patients in whom work capacity had not been restored was in the group which was economically best protected (civil servants and employees). Apparently it is not the operation but the standard of socio-economic protection which is decisive in restoring work capacity.