Endoscopic Technique to Harvest Veins for Heart may Prove Fatal

Using endoscopic technique to harvest leg veins for heart surgery may not be advised as the quality of these veins is poor and the chance of death within three years is high.

A new study by researchers at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina says that using endoscopic technique to harvest leg veins for heart surgery may not be advised as the quality of these veins is poor and the chance of death within three years is high.

"It's not gentle," said Dr. John Alexander, the lead author of the study. "There's a fair amount of tugging that will vary case by case. It's certainly more traumatic to the vein than open harvesting."

Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) | Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery
Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or heart bypass surgery is an open heart surgery to relieve the blockages of the arteries of the heart. Coronary artery bypass surgery lasts up to 3 to 6 hours.

The study of 3,000 patients revealed that those who had their leg veins harvested by the endoscopic technique as opposed to the open harvesting technique had a 58% higher risk of dying within three years of their surgery. The numbers were revealing as 128 of the 1,753 in the endoscopic group died versus 71 of the 1,247 who had open harvesting technique.

"Open harvesting, though more invasive and associated with more wound complications, may be less traumatic to the vein and could result in a better conduit," Alexander said.

The details are reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Heart Attack - Overview
Heart attack is the death of the heart muscle due to loss of blood supply. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Other names for heart attack include acute myocardial infarction, coronary thrombosis, and coronary occlusion.

Source-Medindia
RAS

Animation on Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG)
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG) is performed to restore the blood supply to areas of heart that have been reduced or has no blood supply due to blockage in the artery.

Prime Minister Is Recuperating After The Coronary Bypass Surgery
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will undergo a complete health check-up.