Pre-bypass quality assessment of the long saphenous vein wall with ultrasound and histology.
OBJECTIVE
Pre-existing unsuspected wall changes in saphenous vein grafts have been implicated in the graft outcome. Pre-bypass assessment of the vein may identify grafts at high risk for failure. This study was conducted to evaluate preoperatively the quality of the long saphenous vein (LSV) wall with ultrasound and histology.


METHODS
Prospective clinical study.


METHODS
Three particular LSV segments, ankle, knee and mid-thigh, were evaluated preoperatively by ultrasound in 40 limbs of 38 patients, candidates for coronary artery bypass grafting. The venous wall was characterised based on its thickness and echogenicity in three categories: normal, moderately and severely fibrotic. LSV specimens taken from the above sites were also grouped into the same three categories based on their fibrotic content found on histology.


RESULTS
In total, 89 vein specimens were evaluated. On ultrasound, 81 specimens were detected as normal (91%), seven as moderately (8%) and one as severely fibrotic (1%). On histology, only eight specimens were found normal (9%), 75 with moderate (84%) and six with severe fibrosis (7%). Similar wall characterisation with both examinations was found in only 19% (17/89) of the specimens. Eighty-one specimens (91%) had some degree of fibrosis on histology. Different grades of fibrosis were found on histology in different sites of the same vein.


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-existing wall changes are very common in vein grafts used for bypass surgery. However, the ultrasonic characterisation of the venous wall preoperatively cannot reliably identify these changes.
Giannoukas
A D
AD
Academic Vascular Surgery Unit, St. Mary's Hospital Medical School, London, U.K.
Labropoulos
N
N
Stavridis
G
G
Bailey
D
D
Glenville
B
B
Nicolaides
A N
AN
D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000637:transplantation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography