The correlation between perioperative factors including preoperative complications, treatment, ischemic duration, degree of ischemica as well as the embolized artery and limb salvage and mortality was retrospectively reviewed based on clinical charts and the recurrence rates of emboli and survival rates were followed up. No limb was amputated, but four cases died within 30 days after admission. The causes of death were cerebral embolism in two and SMA embolism and acute renal failure in one each. There was no significant difference in mortality according to any perioperative factor. The recurrence rates of emboli were 23%, 49% and 90% at 1, 2 and 4 years, respectively, and the duration of anticoagulant therapy after discharge did not affect the recurrence rate significantly. The survival rates were 94%, 52%, 29% and 11% at 1, 2, 4 and 5 years respectively. The causes of late death were heart attack in six, cerebral embolism in five, and SMA embolism and cancer in one each. Age and ischemic heart disease were risk factors reducing the long-term survival rate. Although acute arterial embolism of the upper limb does not lead to loss of limbs or life directly, recurrence of embolism was frequently encountered despite anticoagulant therapy and both early and late prognoses were poor.