The Short-Term Patency Rate of a Saphenous Vein Bridge Using the No-Touch Technique in off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in Vein Harvesting

Abstract

Teng-Yue Zhao,* Ji-Qiang Bu,* Jian-Jun Gu, Yu Liu, Wen-Li Zhang, Zi-Ying Chen Department of Cardiac Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Zi-Ying ChenDepartment of Cardiac Surgery, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel [phone]Fax [phone]Email [email protected]: This study aimed to examine the short-term effect of the no-touch technique on the patency rate of a great saphenous vein (GSV) bridge used during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG).Methods: Between June 2018 and September 2020, 140 patients undergoing OPCABG, with grafts obtained from the GSV using the “no-touch” technique or the left internal mammary artery (LIMA), were enrolled in this study. The early clinical results and short-term patency rate of the OPCABG were evaluated at a three-month follow-up by comparing the patency rate of the LIMA bridge and the GSV bridge obtained by the no-touch technique. This study also analyzed the impacts of the postoperative complications of the lower limbs and the distribution area of diseased vessels on the patency rate of a GSV bridge obtained by the no-touch technique at an early stage.Results: No perioperative death or adverse cardiovascular or cerebrovascular events occurred in the 140 patients undergoing OPCABG. The difference in the early patency rate between the GSV bridge obtained by the no-touch technique and the LIMA bridge was not statistically significant (95.9% vs 97.1%, p = 0.501). There was no significant difference in the patency rate between an end-to-side anastomosed venous bridge and a LIMA bridge (95.0% [248/261] vs 97.1% [136/140], p = 0.314). The overall patency rate of a no-touch vein bridge in the right coronary artery region was lower than it was in the left coronary artery region (93.8% [165/176] vs 97.9% [183/187], p = 0.049).Conclusion: The no-touch technique may improve the early patency rate of a GSV bridge, and its effect is similar to that of a LIMA bridge.Keywords: off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, no-touch technique, great saphenous vein, left internal mammary artery

Keywords

• off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting
• no-touch technique
• great saphenous vein
• left internal mammary artery