Abstract:

BACKGROUND: The greater saphenous vein is common used as bypass grafts during coronary bypass grafting, but it is hard to collect.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate advantages and disadvantages between multiple interrupted incisions and traditional single incision in harvesting the greater saphenous vein.
METHODS: Harvesting time of great saphenous vein, total incision length, suture time, total operation time and incidence of the post operative wound complications were observed in 258 coronary artery bypass grafting patients, who underwent great saphenous vein harvesting by either multiple interrupted incisions (n=112) or traditional single incision (n=146) .
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Harvesting time of great saphenous vein by using the interrupted incision was significant longer than that using traditional single incision (P < 0.05). However, suture time of the interrupted incision group was shorter than those in the traditional single incision group (P < 0.01). There was no difference between two groups in total operation time (P > 0.05). Complication rate in 12 days after the operation of the leg wound in interrupted incision group was significantly less than that in the traditional single incision group (P < 0.01). Complication rate of the traditional single group for patients with diabetes was significantly higher than that in the interrupted incision group (P < 0.01). Interrupted incisions significantly reduced incidence of leg complications, especially for patients with diabetes and complicated coronary heart disease, although it increased harvesting time of the great saphenous vein.