Endoscopic versus open saphenous vein harvest: a comparison of postoperative wound complications.
BACKGROUND
Wound complications associated with long incisions used to harvest the greater saphenous vein are well documented. Recent reports suggest that techniques of endoscopic vein harvest may result in decreased wound complications. A prospective, nonrandomized study was developed to compare outcomes of open versus endoscopic vein harvest procedures.


METHODS
There were 106 patients in the open vein harvest group, and 154 patients in the endoscopic vein harvest group. Patient characteristics and demographics were similar in both groups. Wound complications identified were dehiscence, drainage for greater than 2 weeks postoperatively, cellulitis, hematoma, and seroma/lymphocele.


RESULTS
Wound complications were significantly less in the endoscopic vein harvest group (9 of 133, 6.8%) versus the open vein harvest group (26 of 92, 28.3%), p less than 0.001. By multivariable analysis with logistic regression, the open vein harvest technique was the only risk factor for postoperative leg wound complication (relative risk 4.0).


CONCLUSIONS
Endoscopic vein harvest offered improved patient outcomes in terms of wound healing compared with the open vein harvest technique.
Bitondo
Jerene M
JM
Division of Cardiac Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA.
Daggett
Willard M
WM
Torchiana
David F
DF
Akins
Cary W
CW
Hilgenberg
Alan D
AD
Vlahakes
Gus J
GJ
Madsen
Joren C
JC
MacGillivray
Thomas E
TE
Agnihotri
Arvind K
AK
D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000209:etiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting; D014680:Veins / Q000637:transplantation*