Abstract A 57-year-old woman with embolic occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery was treated by embolectomy. It is remarkable that it has been possible to trace only 4 previous reports of successful embolectomy in the British literature. In view of the simplicity of the techniques involved this must be due to a failure of early diagnosis, resulting principally from the lack of abdominal signs characteristic of the condition. The common clinical findings are reviewed.