This study presents a profile of 27 mentally healthy males undergoing reconstructive vascular surgery for occlusive disease. There was a natural polarization of the subjects into two groups postoperatively: those with good adjustment and those with poor adjustment. All subjects were examined extensively and intensively by in-depth psychiatric interviews and psychologic testing both preoperatively and postoperatively and were followed for 1 year. Factors differentiating the two groups were studied; the most significant difference lay in the subjects' stress-coping styles. Other interesting differences were noted.