Vein Injury and Wound Complications Associated with Techniques of Saphenous Vein Harvest

Choi, Jong Bum; Park, Kwon Jae; Yang, Hyun Woong; Lee, Sam Youn; Choi, Soon Ho

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although arterial grafts are widely used due to the advantage of long-term patency in coronary bypass surgery, greater saphenous vein is still an important additional conduit. It was reported that preservation of the adventitia of vein graft and the adjacent tissues may bring the improved long-term graft patency. The aim of this study is to look for a harvest technique that can reduce vein injury and wound complications. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In thirty-four patients that vein grafts were used for coronary bypass surgery, 50 harvest sites were included for the study. In 25 harvest sites in calf below knee (group 1), vein was exposed through a long incision and then clearly dissected from the adjacent tissue. Ten endoscopic vein harvests were performed in the thighs (group 2). Fifteen other vein grafts that were bluntly dissected were harvested from the thighs through three separate incisions (group 3). RESULT: Vein harvest time was longest in endoscopic harvest group (44.7+/-9.8 minutes) and shortest in group 3 (24.2+/-5.9 minutes) (p=0.000). Most avulsion injuries of vein branches happened in the endoscopic group. Sequential grafting numbers per vein were 1.72+/-0.98 with thigh vein graft and 1.16+/-0.37 with calf vein (p=0.02). Swelling of foot and/or leg, which was the most common wound complication after vein harvest, was most commonly presented in group 1 (20/25 sites; p=0.000). Tingling, the most common neurologic complication, was also most prevalent in group 1 (7/25 sites; p=0.013). The risk factor of the wound complication was vein harvest from calf, and the vein harvest technique was not a risk for wound complication.
CONCLUSION
Vein harvest technique through three separate incisions from thigh presented shorter harvest time and less vein injury and wound complication compared with the endoscopic harvest technique from thigh or the harvest through a long incision from calf.