title: Open versus tunneling radial artery harvest for coronary artery grafting.
abstract: We present a less traumatic surgical technique for harvesting the radial artery as a coronary artery bypass graft that does not require any special equipment or skills. We prospectively randomized 40 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with the radial artery into two groups on the basis of harvest techniques: tunneling excision and conventional open method. The less-invasive tunneling technique is safe, easily applicable, and preferred by patients because of the superior cosmetic result.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Interbalkan Medical Center, Thessaloniki, Greece. voucharas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voucharas
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bisbos
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moustakidis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsilimingas
mesh_terms: D002921:Cicatrix / Q000517:prevention & control; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014654:Vascular Patency / Q000502:physiology; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014945:Wound Healing