A carbon dioxide (CO(2)) embolism during endoscopic vein harvesting is a rare but potentially fatal complication. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for limiting the extent of the embolism and stabilizing the resulting cardiovascular compromise. We report a case of CO(2) embolization during endoscopic vein harvesting. Transesophageal echocardiography was instrumental in the diagnosis and m...

The greater saphenous vein (GSV) remains the most commonly harvested conduit for revascularization in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Published literature shows that minimally invasive vein harvesting techniques have a significantly lower incidence of wound infection rates than conventional open vein harvesting techniques have. We report a case of necrotizing fasciitis, an infection wit...

BACKGROUND Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) is produced by activated natural killer and T cells under pathologic circumstances. The objective of our study was to compare the level of IFN-gamma in open and endoscopic methods of vein harvesting for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). METHOD Ninety samples of human saphenous veins harvested from patients prepared for CABG. Pre- and post-procedure...

Objectives: In the postoperative course after conventional open removal of the greater saphenous vein, wound healing disturbances are common and often painful. Therefore the primary goal of this investigation was to prove the safety and practicability of this new less invasive technique for saphenous vein harvesting and the effect on complications and morbidity. Methods: The study comprised 103...

BACKGROUND We compared wound complications between endoscopic and open great saphenous vein harvesting for coronary artery bypass surgery. METHODS A total of 228 consecutive patients were prospectively randomized into two groups: open vein harvesting (OVH), 115 patients; and endoscopic vein harvesting (EVH), 113 patients. Each group was assessed for post-operative wound complications, pain in...

We would like to congratulate Dr Garland and colleagues for their important and honest paper concerning the incidence of lower limb complications following leg vein harvesting for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) [1]. They have described clearly the high incidence of wound infections, numbness, pain and unilateral leg swelling after conventional vein harvesting for CABG. In addition, the ...

OBJECTIVES Endothelial injury during harvest influences graft patency post CABG. We have previously shown that endoscopic harvest causes structural and functional damage to the saphenous vein (SV) endothelium. However, causes of such injury may depend on the extraction technique. In order to assess this supposition, we evaluated the effect of VirtuoSaph endoscopic SV harvesting technique (VsEVH...

BACKGROUND In an effort to minimise access in cardiac surgery, endoscopic vessel harvesting has become more popular. The endoscopic approach, however, allows for only the harvest of the mid to distal internal mammary artery (IMA), leaving the more proximal branches of the conduit available for collateral flow away from the coronary bed. AIM To compare the number and anatomic variation of rema...