title: Great saphenous vein stump thrombosis after harvesting for coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the rate of superficial venous thrombosis in patients undergoing great saphenous vein (GSV) harvesting for coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Post-CABG patients with suspected lower-extremity thrombosis underwent duplex scanning. Thrombus in the saphenofemoral junction stump was noted, and thrombus extension and associated complications collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 2335 patients who underwent CABG in five years, 98 patients presented with signs and symptoms of lower-extremity thrombosis. Thrombosis was present in 19 (19.4%) of these patients, 15 of which had a thrombus in the GSV. Five patients had significant signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism (PE). On objective diagnostic imaging, three of them had a PE.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients undergoing great saphenous vein harvesting for CABG are at an increased risk of developing superficial vein thrombosis especially at the saphenous stump. Given the increased risk of deep vein thrombosis and PE, further studies investigating this topic are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Labropoulos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bishawi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasparis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tassiopoulos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000601:surgery*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology*