Endoscopic vs open vein-graft harvesting for CABG

Editor's Note

In patients having coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, no significant difference was found in the risk of major adverse cardiac events between open and endoscopic vein-graft harvesting procedures, this study finds.

In this analysis of 1,150 patients at 16 Veterans Affairs centers over a median follow-up of 2.78 years, the primary outcome (ie, a composite of major adverse cardiac events, including death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and repeat revascularization) occurred in 89 patients (15.5%) in the open-harvest group and 80 patients (13.9%) in the endoscopic-harvest group.

A total of 46 patients (8.0%) in the open group and 37 patients (6.4%) in the endoscopic group died. Myocardial infarctions occurred in 34 (5.9%) of the open and 27 (4.7%) of the endoscopic groups. Revascularization occurred in 35 (6.1%) of open and 31 (5.4%) of endoscopic patients.

Leg wound infections occurred in 18 (3.1%) of the open group and 8 (1.4%) of the endoscopic group.