Introduction
The saphenous vein graft is the most commonly used conduit in coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The conventional open or direct-vision technique for vein harvesting (making a long linear incision that can run most of the length of the leg) may be associated with increased patient morbidity and discomfort. Thus, less invasive endoscopic techniques for vessel harvesting (EVH), which have been shown to reduce postoperative pain and risk of infection, and ameliorate patients’ recovery, have grown in popularity.
Here, we present our techniques of endoscopic vein harvesting using two different commercially available devices: the VirtuoSaph Plus (VS) Endoscopic Vein Harvesting System (Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) and VasoView HemoPro 2 (HP) System (Maquet Cardiovascular, Rastatt, Germany).
