Long-term patency of coronary grafts with endoscopically harvested saphenous veins determined by contrast-enhanced electron beam computed tomography.

OBJECTIVES: We determined the long-term patency rates of coronary artery grafts with endoscopically harvested saphenous veins.

METHODS: Patency rates were established in 51 patients with 130 distal saphenous vein grafts using contrast-enhanced electron beam computed tomography at 3.74 +/- 0.65 years after coronary artery bypass grafting. A similar group of 50 patients with 131 distal grafts were studied prospectively using the same methodology at 0.7 +/- 0.19 years after coronary artery bypass grafting.

RESULTS: The overall patency rates were 95.4% in the retrospective group and 95.3% in the prospective group. Sequential grafts tended to have a patency advantage over independent grafts.

CONCLUSIONS: These data compare favorably with reported patency rates for traditionally harvested saphenous veins. Endoscopic saphenous vein harvesting, in addition to previous favorable reports on pain, complications, and costs, is now shown to provide comparable or better patency rates in comparison with traditionally harvested veins.