title: No touch vein harvesting technique for CABG improves the long-term clinical outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the long-term clinical outcome, averaging 8.5 years, of two saphenous vein harvesting techniques for CABG; no touch (NT) versus conventional (C).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomized study, 49/52 in group NT and 44/52 in group conventional were evaluated for reangina, myocardial infarction, new revascularization, functional class, risk factors and medical treatment. The vein grafts and the native coronary arteries were correlated to the occurrence of reangina.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significantly more patients free from angina and in NYHA class I (67.3 versus 43.2%; p =0.02) in group NT compared to group C. No cardiac death was found in group NT versus three in group C. There were trends towards fewer patients with cardiac death or myocardial infarction (3.8 vs. 13.4%; p =0.16), more patients free from angina (75.5 vs. 63.6%; p =0.26) and fewer patients with graft occlusion (24.3 vs. 43.2% (p =0.14) in group NT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the NT-technique are encouraging with no cardiac deaths, significantly more asymptomatic patients and a trend towards impact on hard clinical endpoints compared to the conventional technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Orebro University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: Benny L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Domingos S R
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bodin
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Filbey
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bojö
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D002932:Cineangiography; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D013997:Time Factors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency